Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 150
You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
deprecationWarning - CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311
Cake\Http\ServerRequest::offsetGet() - CORE/src/Http/ServerRequest.php, line 2421
App\Controller\ArtileDetailController::index() - APP/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line 150
Cake\Controller\Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/src/Controller/Controller.php, line 610
Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 120
Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 94
Cake\Http\BaseApplication::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/BaseApplication.php, line 235
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Routing\Middleware\RoutingMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Routing/Middleware/RoutingMiddleware.php, line 162
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Routing\Middleware\AssetMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Routing/Middleware/AssetMiddleware.php, line 97
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Error\Middleware\ErrorHandlerMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Error/Middleware/ErrorHandlerMiddleware.php, line 96
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Http\Runner::run() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 51
Cake\Http\Server::run() - CORE/src/Http/Server.php, line 98
Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 151
You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
deprecationWarning - CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311
Cake\Http\ServerRequest::offsetGet() - CORE/src/Http/ServerRequest.php, line 2421
App\Controller\ArtileDetailController::index() - APP/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line 151
Cake\Controller\Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/src/Controller/Controller.php, line 610
Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 120
Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 94
Cake\Http\BaseApplication::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/BaseApplication.php, line 235
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Routing\Middleware\RoutingMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Routing/Middleware/RoutingMiddleware.php, line 162
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Routing\Middleware\AssetMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Routing/Middleware/AssetMiddleware.php, line 97
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Error\Middleware\ErrorHandlerMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Error/Middleware/ErrorHandlerMiddleware.php, line 96
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Http\Runner::run() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 51
Cake\Http\Server::run() - CORE/src/Http/Server.php, line 98
Warning (512): Unable to emit headers. Headers sent in file=/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php line=853 [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 48]
if (Configure::read('debug')) {
trigger_error($message, E_USER_WARNING);
} else {
$response = object(Cake\Http\Response) {
'status' => (int) 200,
'contentType' => 'text/html',
'headers' => [
'Content-Type' => [
[maximum depth reached]
]
],
'file' => null,
'fileRange' => [],
'cookies' => object(Cake\Http\Cookie\CookieCollection) {},
'cacheDirectives' => [],
'body' => '<!DOCTYPE html>
<!--[if lt IE 7 ]>
<html class="ie ie6" lang='en'> <![endif]-->
<!--[if IE 7 ]>
<html class="ie ie7" lang='en'> <![endif]-->
<!--[if IE 8 ]>
<html class="ie ie8" lang='en'> <![endif]-->
<!--[if (gte IE 9)|!(IE)]><!-->
<html lang='en'>
<!--<![endif]-->
<head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8">
<title>
LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Food Insecurity Bill by Pratap Bhanu Mehta </title>
<meta name="description" content="
The government believes it is more important to be seen to be doing things than to be doing them well. The proposed food security legislation is another example of this tendency. The legislation exemplifies the self-defeating obduracy of bureaucratic modes..."/>
<meta name="keywords" content="food security bill,Right to Food,Food Security"/>
<meta name="news_keywords" content="food security bill,Right to Food,Food Security">
<link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="ROR" href="/ror.xml"/>
<link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="RSS 2.0" href="/feeds/"/>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/bootstrap.min.css?1697864993"/> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/style.css?v=1.1.2"/> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/style-inner.css?1577045210"/> <link rel="stylesheet" id="Oswald-css"
href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Oswald%3Aregular%2C700&ver=3.8.1" type="text/css"
media="all">
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/jquery.modal.min.css?1578285302"/> <script src="/js/jquery-1.10.2.js?1575549704"></script> <script src="/js/jquery-migrate.min.js?1575549704"></script> <link rel="shortcut icon" href="/favicon.ico" title="Favicon">
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/jquery-ui.css?1580720609"/> <script src="/js/jquery-ui.js?1575549704"></script> <link rel="preload" as="style" href="https://www.im4change.org/css/custom.css" onload="this.rel='stylesheet'" media="all" crossorigin="anonymous">
<link rel="preload" as="style" href="https://www.im4change.org/css/jquery.modal.min.css" onload="this.rel='stylesheet'" media="all" crossorigin="anonymous">
<link rel="preload" as="style" href="https://www.im4change.org/css/jquery-ui.css" onload="this.rel='stylesheet'" media="all" crossorigin="anonymous">
<link rel="preload" as="style" href="https://www.im4change.org/css/li-scroller.css" onload="this.rel='stylesheet'" media="all" crossorigin="anonymous">
<!-- <link rel="preload" as="style" href="https://www.im4change.org/css/style.css" onload="this.rel='stylesheet'" media="all" crossorigin="anonymous"> -->
<link rel="preload" as="style" href="https://www.im4change.org/css/style-inner.css" onload="this.rel='stylesheet'" media="all" crossorigin="anonymous">
<link rel='dns-prefetch' href="//im4change.org/css/custom.css" crossorigin >
<link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://www.im4change.org/js/bootstrap.js">
<link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://www.im4change.org/js/jquery.li-scroller.1.0.js">
<link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://www.im4change.org/js/jquery.modal.min.js">
<link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://www.im4change.org/js/jquery.ui.totop.js">
<link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://www.im4change.org/js/jquery-1.10.2.js">
<link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://www.im4change.org/js/jquery-migrate.min.js">
<link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://www.im4change.org/js/jquery-ui.js">
<link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://www.im4change.org/js/setting.js">
<link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://www.im4change.org/js/tie-scripts.js">
<!--[if IE]>
<script type="text/javascript">jQuery(document).ready(function () {
jQuery(".menu-item").has("ul").children("a").attr("aria-haspopup", "true");
});</script>
<![endif]-->
<!--[if lt IE 9]>
<script src="/js/html5.js"></script>
<script src="/js/selectivizr-min.js"></script>
<![endif]-->
<!--[if IE 8]>
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="all" href="/css/ie8.css"/>
<![endif]-->
<meta property="og:title" content="LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Food Insecurity Bill by Pratap Bhanu Mehta" />
<meta property="og:url" content="https://im4change.in/latest-news-updates/food-insecurity-bill-by-pratap-bhanu-mehta-12038.html" />
<meta property="og:type" content="article" />
<meta property="og:description" content="
The government believes it is more important to be seen to be doing things than to be doing them well. The proposed food security legislation is another example of this tendency. The legislation exemplifies the self-defeating obduracy of bureaucratic modes..." />
<meta property="og:image" content="" />
<meta property="fb:app_id" content="0" />
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, maximum-scale=1, user-scalable=no">
<link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="144x144" href="https://im4change.in/images/apple1.png">
<link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="120x120" href="https://im4change.in/images/apple2.png">
<link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="72x72" href="https://im4change.in/images/apple3.png">
<link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" href="https://im4change.in/images/apple4.png">
<style>
.gsc-results-wrapper-overlay{
top: 38% !important;
height: 50% !important;
}
.gsc-search-button-v2{
border-color: #035588 !important;
background-color: #035588 !important;
}
.gsib_a{
height: 30px !important;
padding: 2px 8px 1px 6px !important;
}
.gsc-search-button-v2{
height: 41px !important;
}
input.gsc-input{
background: none !important;
}
@media only screen and (max-width: 600px) {
.gsc-results-wrapper-overlay{
top: 11% !important;
width: 87% !important;
left: 9% !important;
height: 43% !important;
}
.gsc-search-button-v2{
padding: 10px 10px !important;
}
.gsc-input-box{
height: 28px !important;
}
/* .gsib_a {
padding: 0px 9px 4px 9px !important;
}*/
}
@media only screen and (min-width: 1200px) and (max-width: 1920px) {
table.gsc-search-box{
width: 15% !important;
float: right !important;
margin-top: -118px !important;
}
.gsc-search-button-v2 {
padding: 6px !important;
}
}
</style>
<script>
$(function () {
$("#accordion").accordion({
event: "click hoverintent"
});
});
/*
* hoverIntent | Copyright 2011 Brian Cherne
* http://cherne.net/brian/resources/jquery.hoverIntent.html
* modified by the jQuery UI team
*/
$.event.special.hoverintent = {
setup: function () {
$(this).bind("mouseover", jQuery.event.special.hoverintent.handler);
},
teardown: function () {
$(this).unbind("mouseover", jQuery.event.special.hoverintent.handler);
},
handler: function (event) {
var currentX, currentY, timeout,
args = arguments,
target = $(event.target),
previousX = event.pageX,
previousY = event.pageY;
function track(event) {
currentX = event.pageX;
currentY = event.pageY;
}
;
function clear() {
target
.unbind("mousemove", track)
.unbind("mouseout", clear);
clearTimeout(timeout);
}
function handler() {
var prop,
orig = event;
if ((Math.abs(previousX - currentX) +
Math.abs(previousY - currentY)) < 7) {
clear();
event = $.Event("hoverintent");
for (prop in orig) {
if (!(prop in event)) {
event[prop] = orig[prop];
}
}
// Prevent accessing the original event since the new event
// is fired asynchronously and the old event is no longer
// usable (#6028)
delete event.originalEvent;
target.trigger(event);
} else {
previousX = currentX;
previousY = currentY;
timeout = setTimeout(handler, 100);
}
}
timeout = setTimeout(handler, 100);
target.bind({
mousemove: track,
mouseout: clear
});
}
};
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
var _gaq = _gaq || [];
_gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-472075-3']);
_gaq.push(['_trackPageview']);
(function () {
var ga = document.createElement('script');
ga.type = 'text/javascript';
ga.async = true;
ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js';
var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s);
})();
</script>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/custom.css?v=1.16"/> <script src="/js/jquery.ui.totop.js?1575549704"></script> <script src="/js/setting.js?1575549704"></script> <link rel="manifest" href="/manifest.json">
<meta name="theme-color" content="#616163" />
<meta name="apple-mobile-web-app-capable" content="yes">
<meta name="apple-mobile-web-app-status-bar-style" content="black">
<meta name="apple-mobile-web-app-title" content="im4change">
<link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="/icons/logo-192x192.png">
</head>
<body id="top" class="home inner blog">
<div class="background-cover"></div>
<div class="wrapper animated">
<header id="theme-header" class="header_inner" style="position: relative;">
<div class="logo inner_logo" style="left:20px !important">
<a title="Home" href="https://im4change.in/">
<img src="https://im4change.in/images/logo2.jpg?1582080632" class="logo_image" alt="im4change"/> </a>
</div>
<div class="langhindi" style="color: #000;display:none;"
href="https://im4change.in/">
<a class="more-link" href="https://im4change.in/">Home</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/hindi/" class="langbutton ">हिन्दी</a>
</div>
<nav class="fade-in animated2" id="main-nav">
<div class="container">
<div class="main-menu">
<ul class="menu" id="menu-main">
<li class="menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-has-children"
style="left: -40px;"><a
target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/">Home</a>
</li>
<li class="menu-item mega-menu menu-item-type-taxonomy mega-menu menu-item-object-category mega-menu menu-item-has-children parent-list"
style=" margin-left: -40px;"><a href="#">KNOWLEDGE GATEWAY <span class="sub-indicator"></span>
</a>
<div class="mega-menu-block background_menu" style="padding-top:25px;">
<div class="container">
<div class="mega-menu-content">
<div class="mega-menu-item">
<h3><b>Farm Crisis</b></h3>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/farm-crisis/farmers039-suicides-14.html"
class="left postionrel">Farm Suicides </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/farm-crisis/unemployment-30.html"
class="left postionrel">Unemployment </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/farm-crisis/rural-distress-70.html"
class="left postionrel">Rural distress </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/farm-crisis/migration-34.html"
class="left postionrel">Migration </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/farm-crisis/key-facts-72.html"
class="left postionrel">Key Facts </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/farm-crisis/debt-trap-15.html"
class="left postionrel">Debt Trap </a>
</p>
</div>
<div class="mega-menu-item">
<h3><b>Empowerment</b></h3>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/empowerment/union-budget-73.html"
class="left postionrel">Union Budget And Other Economic Policies </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/empowerment/forest-and-tribal-rights-61.html"
class="left postionrel">Forest and Tribal Rights </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/empowerment/right-to-education-60.html"
class="left postionrel">Right to Education </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/empowerment/right-to-food-59.html"
class="left postionrel">Right to Food </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/empowerment/displacement-3279.html"
class="left postionrel">Displacement </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/empowerment/right-to-work-mg-nrega-39.html"
class="left postionrel">Right to Work (MG-NREGA) </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/empowerment/gender-3280.html"
class="left postionrel">GENDER </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/empowerment/right-to-information-58.html"
class="left postionrel">Right to Information </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/empowerment/social-audit-48.html"
class="left postionrel">Social Audit </a>
</p>
</div>
<div class="mega-menu-item">
<h3><b>Hunger / HDI</b></h3>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/hunger-hdi/poverty-and-inequality-20499.html"
class="left postionrel">Poverty and inequality </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/hunger-hdi/malnutrition-41.html"
class="left postionrel">Malnutrition </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/hunger-hdi/public-health-51.html"
class="left postionrel">Public Health </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/hunger-hdi/education-50.html"
class="left postionrel">Education </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/hunger-hdi/hunger-overview-40.html"
class="left postionrel">Hunger Overview </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/hunger-hdi/hdi-overview-45.html"
class="left postionrel">HDI Overview </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/hunger-hdi/pds-ration-food-security-42.html"
class="left postionrel">PDS/ Ration/ Food Security </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/hunger-hdi/sdgs-113.html"
class="left postionrel">SDGs </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/hunger-hdi/mid-day-meal-scheme-mdms-53.html"
class="left postionrel">Mid Day Meal Scheme (MDMS) </a>
</p>
</div>
<div class="mega-menu-item">
<h3><b>Environment</b></h3>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/environment/time-bomb-ticking-52.html"
class="left postionrel">Time Bomb Ticking </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/environment/water-and-sanitation-55.html"
class="left postionrel">Water and Sanitation </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/environment/impact-on-agriculture-54.html"
class="left postionrel">Impact on Agriculture </a>
</p>
</div>
<div class="mega-menu-item">
<h3><b>Law & Justice</b></h3>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/law-justice/social-justice-20500.html"
class="left postionrel">Social Justice </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/law-justice/access-to-justice-47.html"
class="left postionrel">Access to Justice </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/law-justice/human-rights-56.html"
class="left postionrel">Human Rights </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/law-justice/corruption-35.html"
class="left postionrel">Corruption </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/law-justice/general-insecurity-46.html"
class="left postionrel">General Insecurity </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/law-justice/disaster-relief-49.html"
class="left postionrel">Disaster & Relief </a>
</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</li>
<li class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page "><a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/nceus_reports.php">NCEUS reports</a>
</li>
<li class="menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-has-children parent-list ">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/about-us-9.html">About Us <span
class="sub-indicator"></span></a>
<ul class="sub-menu aboutmenu">
<li class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a
target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/objectives-8.html">Objectives</a>
</li>
<li class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a
target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/contactus.php">Contact
Us</a></li>
<li class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a
target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/about-us-9.html">About
Us</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-has-children ">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/fellowships.php" title="Fellowships">Fellowships</a>
</li>
<li class="menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-has-children "><a
target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/media-workshops.php">Workshops</a>
</li>
<li class="menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-has-children "><a
target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/research.php">Research</a></li>
<li class="menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-has-children "><a
target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/links-64">Partners</a></li>
<li class="menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-has-children"
id="menu-item-539"><a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/hindi/"
class="langbutton langlinkfont17">हिन्दी</a></li>
</ul>
</div> </div>
<!-- <div style="float: right;">
<script async src="https://cse.google.com/cse.js?cx=18b4f2e0f11bed3dd"></script>
<div class="gcse-search"></div>
</div> -->
<div class="search-block" style=" margin-left: 8px; margin-right: 7px;">
<form method="get" id="searchform" name="searchform"
action="https://im4change.in/search"
onsubmit="return searchvalidate();">
<button class="search-button" type="submit" value="Search"></button>
<input type="text" id="s" name="qryStr" value=""
onfocus="if (this.value == 'Search...') {this.value = '';}"
onblur="if (this.value == '') {this.value = 'Search...';}">
</form>
</div>
</nav>
</header>
<div class="container">
<div id="main-content" class=" main1 container fade-in animated3 sidebar-narrow-left">
<div class="content-wrap">
<div class="content" style="width: 900px;min-height: 500px;">
<section class="cat-box recent-box innerCatRecent">
<h1 class="cat-box-title">Food Insecurity Bill by Pratap Bhanu Mehta</h1>
<a href="JavaScript:void(0);" onclick="return shareArticle(11919);">
<img src="https://im4change.in/images/email.png?1582080630" border="0" width="24" align="right" alt="Share this article"/> </a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/latest-news-updates/food-insecurity-bill-by-pratap-bhanu-mehta-12038/print"
rel="nofollow">
<img src="https://im4change.in/images/icon-print.png?1582080630" border="0" width="24" align="right" alt="Share this article"/>
</a>
</section>
<section class="recent-box innerCatRecent">
<small class="pb-1"><span class="dateIcn">
<img src="https://im4change.in/images/published.svg?1582080666" alt="published"/>
Published on</span><span class="text-date"> Dec 14, 2011</span>
<span
class="dateIcn">
<img src="https://im4change.in/images/modified.svg?1582080666" alt="modified"/> Modified on </span><span class="text-date"> Dec 14, 2011</span>
</small>
</section>
<div class="clear"></div>
<div style="padding-top: 10px;">
<div class="innerLineHeight">
<div class="middleContent innerInput latest-news-updates">
<table>
<tr>
<td>
<div>
<br /><div align="justify">The government believes it is more important to be seen to be doing things than to be doing them well. The proposed food security legislation is another example of this tendency. The legislation exemplifies the self-defeating obduracy of bureaucratic modes of thinking. But the debate around it also exemplifies a failure of intellectual argument in India. Our debates often have this character. First, we spend a lot more time arguing about the destination than necessary. It is absolutely unconscionable that the need for a credible food security system still needs to be argued. Then we have a slightly more productive discussion about the route to get there. Some will argue that the Public Distribution System, though currently broken, can be fixed. Others will argue we need to replace food with cash. Sometimes these debates are in good faith. But sometimes in these debates, as in identity politics, belief chases evidence, not the other way round. But once we have, for good or for ill, chosen a route, we stop caring whether we will drive well enough to get to the destination. Or, worse still, we will actively subvert whatever route has been chosen. Often this is because each side can say, “I told you PDS won’t work.” Or, “I told you private provisioning won’t work.” We make sure that the conditions that might make the chosen architecture work do not obtain. But here is where a little generosity may help. It is possible to say: We should have chosen a different route. But now that we have chosen this route, let us ask how we can gain most from it. Like politicians, our debates are more interested in scoring points, than making progress.<br /><br />The debate about the architecture of food security is important. Given the realities of procurement, and the unconscionable deprivation on the ground, PDS is probably still a workable bet. But both PDS supporters and sceptics ought to join forces in recognising that the current bill needs revision, from within its own paradigm. It has a few promising features. But its approach to PDS lacks the central element of good legislation: integrity. A scheme must be a good-faith effort to implement what has a high probability of working, than to continue with premises you know will fail. The one thing that there is near consensus on is this: the more a scheme relies on complex targeting, the more likely it is to fail. Even with the latest, Janani Suraksha Yojana, there is evidence that states which universalised it had greater gains than states which had targeting. Universality or self-targeting is not a sufficient condition for a scheme’s success. But it seems to be one of the conditions of making success possible. You can do clear exclusions of the very privileged. But the numbers involved are so small that the gains are not clear.<br /><br />But what does the new legislation do? It creates Orwellian categories like priority households and general category households. And it introduces more forms of differential pricing. In short, it wilfully incorporates into its design three features that have made schemes in the past a failure: impractical targeting categories, administrative complexity, and incentives to game. It almost reads like a set-up. Instead, it would be far better to do what Jean Dreze has proposed: keep the scheme simple. It will have more integrity and chance of success. Exclude those who come under the unambiguous automatic exclusion criteria, if you must. But keep one category of beneficiaries, and a standard amount of 25 kilograms. And keep the one scheme that has worked relatively better: Antyodaya.<br /><br />The point about administrative simplicity is not peripheral to design; it is central to it. The BPL lists have been such a moral and administrative travesty. One of the ironies of the Indian system is that subsidies that benefit the privileged, like fuel subsidies, are couched in universalistic terms. But those from which the poor benefit are always targeted. This is doubly insulting to the poor. It makes it sound as if what the poor are getting is some special dispensation rather than a right enjoyed by all. But after all the fiascos with classification, it will take a psychoanalyst to diagnose why the Indian state continues to reinstate untenable categories. Perhaps it is more interested in defining the poor than helping them.<br /><br />The second aspect of integrity is this: if the objective is important, then we find the means to achieve it, instead of letting false assumptions about means to achieve the ends guide formulation of ends. The ministry of agriculture and the Planning Commission have consistently let some warped sense of means subvert the achievement of ends. They are not interested in food security or nutrition. They are interested in classifications, poverty caps, export prices, etc. Some of these concerns are well placed. It is vital that any procurement scheme must not diminish incentives for farmers. But not a single one of those proposing universalisation or near-universalisation, like Abhijit Sen, Himanshu or Jean Dreze, is exceeding reasonable procurement targets. There is something seriously amiss when we suggest with a straight face that we don’t have the money or the grain to guarantee food security.<br /><br />A government, planning wizard that it is, also has to plan for what it cannot do. So in case the government cannot give you food it will give food security wages instead. It is hard to know what to make of this idea: it introduces cash by the backdoor. Whether it is a good idea cannot be debated. But something about elementary political economy tells you that if you introduce cash in a scheme not designed for it, the incentives to game the system increase dramatically.<br /><br />The bill gives you the impression that it will create the worst of all worlds. It will increase expenditure. But the administrative imagination that has gone into it will ensure that the outcomes are deeply disappointing. It is almost as if someone in government is saying, if you make me do PDS, I will do my best to ensure it does not work. In intellectual debates we will use this as a pretext to say public or private cannot work. And politicians, typically, think the politics of being seen with the poor is one thing, wrestling with the administrative protocols that have imprisoned the poor quite another. As a society we disagree on many things. But it will be a travesty if we cannot agree that our failures on food security are not a tragedy, they are a scandal.<br /><br /><em>The writer is president, Centre for Policy Research, Delhi</em></div>
</div>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="clear"></div>
<br><a href="http://www.indianexpress.com/news/food-insecurity-bill/887452/" class="re" target="_blank">The Indian Express, 14 December, 2011, http://www.indianexpress.com/news/food-insecurity-bill/887452/</a><div class="clear"></div>
<div style="padding-top: 18px;">
<p class="post-tag">Tagged with:
<a class="tagcloud5"
href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=food security bill"
title="food security bill">
food security bill </a>
<a class="tagcloud5"
href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Right to Food"
title="Right to Food">
Right to Food </a>
<a class="tagcloud5"
href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Food Security"
title="Food Security">
Food Security </a>
</p>
</div>
<div class="clear"></div>
<br><br>
<div class="widget-top">
<h4>Related Articles</h4>
<div class="stripe-line"></div>
</div>
<div class="widget-container">
<ul id="recentcomments">
<li class="recentcomments">
<a href="https://im4change.in/latest-news-updates/hunger-and-malnutrition-in-india-after-a-decade-of-the-national-food-security-act-2013-neetu-sharma-jyotsna-sripada-shruthi-raman.html"
title="Hunger and Malnutrition in India after a Decade of the National Food Security Act, 2013 - Neetu Sharma, Jyotsna Sripada, Shruthi Raman">
Hunger and Malnutrition in India after a Decade of the National Food Security Act, 2013 - Neetu Sharma, Jyotsna Sripada, Shruthi Raman </a>
</li>
<li class="recentcomments">
<a href="https://im4change.in/latest-news-updates/monsoon-2023-to-be-below-normal-amid-el-nino-threat-forecasts-skymet-economic-times.html"
title="Monsoon 2023 to be below normal amid El Nino threat, forecasts Skymet - Economic Times">
Monsoon 2023 to be below normal amid El Nino threat, forecasts Skymet - Economic Times </a>
</li>
<li class="recentcomments">
<a href="https://im4change.in/news-alerts-57/news-alert-real-wages-declined-for-rural-indians-in-2022-a-year-when-the-economy-somewhat-recovered.html"
title="Real Wages Declined for Rural Indians in 2022, a Year When the Economy Somewhat Recovered ">
Real Wages Declined for Rural Indians in 2022, a Year When the Economy Somewhat Recovered </a>
</li>
<li class="recentcomments">
<a href="https://im4change.in/latest-news-updates/expand-pds-to-include-non-ration-card-holders-and-10-crore-excluded-by-using-old-census-figures-right-to-food-campaign.html"
title="Expand PDS to include non-ration card holders and 10 crore excluded by using old census figures: Right to Food Campaign">
Expand PDS to include non-ration card holders and 10 crore excluded by using old census figures: Right to Food Campaign </a>
</li>
<li class="recentcomments">
<a href="https://im4change.in/latest-news-updates/costly-wheat-and-the-cloud-over-our-daily-bread-sayantan-bera.html"
title="Costly wheat and the cloud over our daily bread - Sayantan Bera">
Costly wheat and the cloud over our daily bread - Sayantan Bera </a>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="comment-respond" id="respond">
<a name="commentbox"> </a>
<h3 class="comment-reply-title" id="reply-title">Write Comments</h3>
<form method="post" accept-charset="utf-8" role="form" action="/latest-news-updates/food-insecurity-bill-by-pratap-bhanu-mehta-12038.html"><div style="display:none;"><input type="hidden" name="_method" value="POST"/></div> <form class="comment-form" id="commentform" method="post" action="#commentbox" onSubmit="return validate()"
name="cmtform">
<input type="hidden" name="cmttype" value="articlecmt"/>
<input type="hidden" name="article_id" value="11919"/>
<p class="comment-notes">Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked <span
class="required">*</span></p>
<p class="comment-form-author">
<label for="commenterName">Name</label>
<span class="required">*</span>
<input type="text" aria-required="true" size="30"
value=""
name="commenterName" id="commenterName" required="true">
</p>
<p class="comment-form-email">
<label for="commenterEmail">Email</label> <span class="required">*</span>
<input aria-required="true" size="30" name="commenterEmail" id="commenterEmail" type="email"
value=""
required="true">
</p>
<p class="comment-form-contact">
<label for="commenterPh">Contact No.</label>
<input type="text" size="30"
value=""
name="commenterPh" id="commenterPh">
</p>
<p class="comment-form-comment">
<label for="comment">Comment</label>
<textarea aria-required="true" required="true" rows="8" cols="45" name="comment"
id="comment"></textarea>
</p>
<p class="comment-form-comment">
<label for="comment">Type the characters you see in the image below <span class="required">*</span><br><img
class="captchaImg"
src="https://im4change.in/securimage_show_art.php?tk=343883231" alt="captcha"/>
</label>
</p>
<input type="text" name="vrcode" required="true"/>
<p class="form-submit" style="width: 200px;">
<input type="submit" value="Post Comment" id="submit" name="submit">
</p></form>
</div>
<style>
.ui-widget-content {
height: auto !important;
}
</style>
<div id="share-modal"></div>
<style>
.middleContent a{
background-color: rgba(108,172,228,.2);
}
.middleContent a:hover{
background-color: #418fde;
border-color: #418fde;
color: #000;
}
</style>
<script>
function shareArticle(article_id) {
var options = {
modal: true,
height: 'auto',
width: 600 + 'px'
};
$('#share-modal').html("");
$('#share-modal').load('https://im4change.in/share_article?article_id=' + article_id).dialog(options).dialog('open');
}
function postShare() {
var param = 'article_id=' + $("#article_id").val();
param = param + '&y_name=' + $("#y_name").val();
param = param + '&y_email=' + $("#y_email").val();
param = param + '&f_name=' + $("#f_name").val();
param = param + '&f_email=' + $("#f_email").val();
param = param + '&y_msg=' + $("#y_msg").val();
$.ajax({
type: "POST",
url: 'https://im4change.in/post_share_article',
data: param,
success: function (response) {
$('#share-modal').html("Thank You, Your message posted to ");
}
});
return false;
}
</script> </div>
</div>
<!-- Right Side Section Start -->
<!-- MAP Section START -->
<aside class="sidebar indexMarg">
<div class="ad-cell">
<a href="https://im4change.in/statemap.php" title="">
<img src="https://im4change.in/images/map_new_version.png?1582080666" alt="India State Map" class="indiamap" width="232" height="252"/> </a>
<div class="rightmapbox">
<div id="sideOne" class="docltitle"><a href="https://im4change.in/state-report/india/36" target="_blank">DOCUMENTS/
REPORTS</a></div>
<div id="sideTwo" class="statetitle"><a href="https://im4change.in/states.php"target="_blank">STATE DATA/
HDRs.</a></div>
</div>
<div class="widget widgePadTop"></div>
</div>
</aside>
<!-- MAP Section END -->
<aside class="sidebar sidePadbottom">
<div class="rightsmlbox1" >
<a href="https://im4change.in/knowledge_gateway" target="_blank" style="color: #035588;
font-size: 17px;">
KNOWLEDGE GATEWAY
</a>
</div>
<div class="rightsmlbox1">
<div>
<p class="rightsmlbox1_title">
<a href="https://im4change.in/newsletter" target="_blank">
NEWSLETTER
</a>
</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="rightsmlbox1" style="height: 325px;">
<div>
<p class="rightsmlbox1_title">
Interview with Prof. Ravi Srivastava
</p>
<p class="rightsmlbox1_title">
<a href="https://im4change.in/video/interview-with-prof-ravi-srivastava-on-current-economic-crisis">
<img width="250" height="200" src="/images/interview_video_home.jpg" alt="Interview with Prof. Ravi Srivastava"/>
</a>
<!--
<iframe width="250" height="200" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MmaTlntk-wc" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>-->
</p>
<a href="https://im4change.in/videogallery" class="more-link CatArchalAnch1" target="_blank">
More videos
</a>
</div>
</div>
<div class="rightsmlbox1">
<div>
<!--div id="sstory" class="rightboxicons"></div--->
<p class="rightsmlbox1_title"><a href="https://im4change.in/list-success-stories" target="_blank">Success Stories</a></p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="rightsmlbox1">
<div>
<p class="rightsmlbox1_title"><a
href="https://im4change.in/interviews" target="_blank">Interviews</a>
</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="rightsmlbox1">
<div>
<p class="rightsmlbox1_title"><a href="https://www.commoncause.in/page.php?id=10" >Donate</a></p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="rightsmlbox1">
<div>
<p class="rightsmlbox1_title"><a
href="https://im4change.in/marquee"
class="isf_link more-link" title="India Focus?" style="border: 4px solid #fdd922;width: 90%;background-color: #fdd922;text-align: center;color: #000000;font-size:18px" target="_blank">India Focus</a></p> </div>
</div>
<div class="rightsmlbox1" style="height: 104px !important;">
<a href="https://im4change.in/quarterly_reports.php" target="_blank">
Quarterly Reports on Effect of Economic Slowdown on Employment in India (2008 - 2015)
</a>
</div>
<!-- <div class="rightsmlbox1">
<a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.im4.im4change" target="_blank">
</a></div> -->
<!-- <section class="cat-box recent-box secMarg">
<h2 class="cat-box-title">Most Visited</h2>
</section> -->
<!-- accordion Starts here -->
<!-- <div id="accordion" class="accordMarg">
</div> -->
<!-- accordion ends here -->
<!-- Widget Tag Cloud Starts here -->
<div id="tag_cloud-2" class="widget widget_tag_cloud">
<section class="cat-box recent-box secMarg">
<h2 class="cat-box-title">MOST VISITED TAGS</h2>
</section>
<div class="widget-top wiPdTp">
<div class="stripe-line"></div>
</div>
<div class="widget-container">
<div class="tagcloud">
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Agriculture"
target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Agriculture</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Food Security"
target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Food Security</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Law and Justice"
target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Law and Justice</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Health"
target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Health</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Right to Food"
target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Right to Food</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Corruption"
target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Corruption</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=farming"
target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">farming</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Environment"
target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Environment</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Right to Information"
target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Right to Information</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=NREGS"
target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">NREGS</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Human Rights"
target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Human Rights</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Governance"
target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Governance</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=PDS"
target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">PDS</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=COVID-19"
target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">COVID-19</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Land Acquisition"
target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Land Acquisition</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=mgnrega"
target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">mgnrega</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Farmers"
target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Farmers</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=transparency"
target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">transparency</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Gender"
target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Gender</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Poverty"
target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Poverty</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Farm Laws" target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Farm Laws
</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Citizenship Amendment Act" target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Citizenship Amendment Act
</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=CAA NPR NRIC" target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">CAA NPR NRIC
</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Job Losses" target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Job Losses
</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Migrant Workers" target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Migrant Workers
</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Unemployment" target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Unemployment
</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=PMGKAY" target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">PMGKAY
</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=PM-KISAN" target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">PM-KISAN
</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=PM-CARES" target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">PM-CARES
</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=LFPR" target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">LFPR
</a>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<!-- Widget Tag Cloud Ends here -->
</aside>
<!-- Right Side Section End -->
</div>
<section class="cat-box cats-review-box footerSec">
<h2 class="cat-box-title vSec CatArcha">Video
Archives</h2>
<h2 class="cat-box-title CatArchaTitle">Archives</h2>
<div class="cat-box-content">
<div class="reviews-cat">
<div class="CatArchaDiv1">
<div class="CatArchaDiv2">
<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://im4change.in/news-alerts-57/moving-upstream-luni-fellowship.html" target="_blank">
Moving Upstream: Luni – Fellowship </a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://im4change.in/news-alerts-57/135-million-indians-exited-multidimensional-poverty-as-per-government-figures-is-that-the-same-as-poverty-reduction.html" target="_blank">
135 Million Indians Exited “Multidimensional" Poverty as per Government... </a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://im4change.in/news-alerts-57/explainer-why-are-tomato-prices-on-fire.html" target="_blank">
Explainer: Why are Tomato Prices on Fire? </a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://im4change.in/news-alerts-57/nsso-survey-only-39-1-of-all-households-have-drinking-water-within-dwelling-46-7-of-rural-households-use-firewood-for-cooking.html" target="_blank">
NSSO Survey: Only 39.1% of all Households have Drinking... </a>
</li>
<li class="CatArchalLi1">
<a href="https://im4change.in/news-alerts-57"
class="more-link CatArchalAnch1" target="_blank">
More...
</a>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="CatArchaWidth">
<img class="CatArchaImg"
src="https://img.youtube.com/vi/I51LYnP8BOk/1.jpg"
alt=" Im4Change.org हिंदी वेबसाइट का परिचय. Short Video on im4change.org...">
<p class="CatArchaPPad">
<a href="https://im4change.in/video/Short-Video-on-im4change-Hindi-website-Inclusive-Media-for-Change" target="_blank">
Im4Change.org हिंदी वेबसाइट का परिचय. Short Video on im4change.org... </a>
</p>
</div>
<div class="CatArchaWidth">
<img class="CatArchaImg"
src="https://img.youtube.com/vi/kNqha-SwfIY/1.jpg"
alt=" "Session 1: Scope of IDEA and AgriStack" in Exploring...">
<p class="CatArchaPPad">
<a href="https://im4change.in/video/Session-1- Scope-of-IDEA-and-AgriStack-in-Exploring-Digitalisation-in-Agriculture-29-April-2022" target="_blank">
"Session 1: Scope of IDEA and AgriStack" in Exploring... </a>
</p>
</div>
<div class="CatArchaWidth">
<img class="CatArchaImg"
src="https://img.youtube.com/vi/6kIVjlgZItk/1.jpg"
alt=" "Session 2: Farmer Centric Digitalisation in Agriculture" in Exploring...">
<p class="CatArchaPPad">
<a href="https://im4change.in/video/Session-2-Farmer-Centric-Digitalisation-in-Agriculture-in-Exploring-Digitalisation-in-Agriculture-29-April-2022" target="_blank">
"Session 2: Farmer Centric Digitalisation in Agriculture" in Exploring... </a>
</p>
</div>
<div class="CatArchaWidth">
<img class="CatArchaImg"
src="https://img.youtube.com/vi/2BeHTu0y7xc/1.jpg"
alt=" "Session 3: Future of Digitalisation in Agriculture" in Exploring...">
<p class="CatArchaPPad">
<a href="https://im4change.in/video/Session-3-Future-of-Digitalisation-in-Agriculture-in-Exploring-Digitalisation-in-Agriculture-29-April-2022" target="_blank">
"Session 3: Future of Digitalisation in Agriculture" in Exploring... </a>
</p>
</div>
<div class="divWidth">
<ul class="divWidthMarg">
<li>
<a href="https://im4change.in/video/Public-Spending-on-Agriculture-in-India-Source-Foundation-for-Agrarian-Studies"
title="Public Spending on Agriculture in India (Source: Foundation for Agrarian Studies)" target="_blank">
Public Spending on Agriculture in India (Source: Foundation for...</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://im4change.in/video/Agrarian-Change-Seminar-Protests-against-the-New-Farm-Laws-in-India-by-Prof-Vikas-Rawal-JNU-Source-Journal-Of-Agrarian-Change"
title="Agrarian Change Seminar: 'Protests against the New Farm Laws in India' by Prof. Vikas Rawal, JNU (Source: Journal Of Agrarian Change) " target="_blank">
Agrarian Change Seminar: 'Protests against the New Farm Laws...</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://im4change.in/video/Webinar-Ramrao-The-Story-of-India-Farm-Crisis-Source-Azim-Premji-University"
title="Webinar: Ramrao - The Story of India's Farm Crisis (Source: Azim Premji University)" target="_blank">
Webinar: Ramrao - The Story of India's Farm Crisis...</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://im4change.in/video/water-and-agricultural-transformation-in-India"
title="Water and Agricultural Transformation in India: A Symbiotic Relationship (Source: IGIDR)" target="_blank">
Water and Agricultural Transformation in India: A Symbiotic Relationship...</a>
</li>
<li class="CatArchalLi1">
<a href="https://im4change.in/videogallery"
class="more-link CatArchalAnch1" target="_blank">
More...
</a>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</section> </div>
<div class="clear"></div>
<!-- Footer option Starts here -->
<div class="footer-bottom fade-in animated4">
<div class="container">
<div class="social-icons icon_flat">
<p class="SocialMargTop"> Website Developed by <a target="_blank" title="Web Development"
class="wot right"
href="http://www.ravinderkhurana.com/" rel="nofollow">
RAVINDErkHURANA.com</a></p>
</div>
<div class="alignleft">
<a
target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/objectives-8.html"
class="link"
title="Objectives">Objectives</a> | <a
target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/about-us-9.html"
class="link" title="About Us">About Us</a> | <a
target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/media-workshops.php"
class="ucwords">Workshops</a> | <a
target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/disclaimer/disclaimer-149.html"
title="Disclaimer">Disclaimer</a> </div>
</div>
</div>
<!-- Footer option ends here -->
</div>
<div id="connect">
<a target="_blank"
href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://im4change.in/latest-news-updates/food-insecurity-bill-by-pratap-bhanu-mehta-12038.html"
title="Share on Facebook">
<img src="https://im4change.in/images/Facebook.png?1582080640" alt="share on Facebook" class="ImgBorder"/>
</a><br/>
<a target="_blank"
href="http://twitter.com/share?text=Im4change&url=https://im4change.in/latest-news-updates/food-insecurity-bill-by-pratap-bhanu-mehta-12038.html"
title="Share on Twitter">
<img src="https://im4change.in/images/twitter.png?1582080632" alt="Twitter" class="ImgBorder"/> </a>
<br/>
<a href="/feeds" title="RSS Feed" target="_blank">
<img src="https://im4change.in/images/rss.png?1582080632" alt="RSS" class="ImgBorder"/>
</a>
<br/>
<a class="feedback-link" id="feedbackFormLink" href="#">
<img src="https://im4change.in/images/feedback.png?1582080630" alt="Feedback" class="ImgBorder"/>
</a> <br/>
<a href="javascript:function iprl5(){var d=document,z=d.createElement('scr'+'ipt'),b=d.body,l=d.location;try{if(!b)throw(0);d.title='(Saving...) '+d.title;z.setAttribute('src',l.protocol+'//www.instapaper.com/j/WKrH3R7ORD5p?u='+encodeURIComponent(l.href)+'&t='+(new Date().getTime()));b.appendChild(z);}catch(e){alert('Please wait until the page has loaded.');}}iprl5();void(0)"
class="bookmarklet" onclick="return explain_bookmarklet();">
<img src="https://im4change.in/images/read-it-later.png?1582080632" alt="Read Later" class="ImgBorder"/> </a>
</div>
<!-- Feedback form Starts here -->
<div id="feedbackForm" class="overlay_form" class="ImgBorder">
<h2>Contact Form</h2>
<div id="contactform1">
<div id="formleft">
<form id="submitform" action="/contactus.php" method="post">
<input type="hidden" name="submitform" value="submitform"/>
<input type="hidden" name="salt_key" value="a0e0f2c6a0644a70e57ad2c96829709a"/>
<input type="hidden" name="ref" value="feedback"/>
<fieldset>
<label>Name :</label>
<input type="text" name="name" class="tbox" required/>
</fieldset>
<fieldset>
<label>Email :</label>
<input type="text" name="email" class="tbox" required/>
</fieldset>
<fieldset>
<label>Message :</label>
<textarea rows="5" cols="20" name="message" required></textarea>
</fieldset>
<fieldset>
Please enter security code
<div class="clear"></div>
<input type="text" name="vrcode" class="tbox"/>
</fieldset>
<fieldset>
<input type="submit" class="button" value="Submit"/>
<a href="#" id="closefeedbakcformLink">Close</a>
</fieldset>
</form>
</div>
<div class="clearfix"></div>
</div>
</div>
<div id="donate_popup" class="modal" style="max-width: 800px;">
<table width="100%" border="1">
<tr>
<td colspan="2" align="center">
<b>Support im4change</b>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="25%" valign="middle">
<img src="https://im4change.in/images/logo2.jpg?1582080632" alt="" width="100%"/> </td>
<td style="padding-left:10px;padding-top:10px;">
<form action="https://im4change.in/donate" method="get">
<table width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2">
<tr>
<td width="33%" style="font-family: 'Script Font', cursive, Arial;font-size: 20px;font-weight: 700;">
10
</td>
<td width="33%" style="font-family: 'Script Font', cursive, Arial;font-size: 20px;font-weight: 700;">
100
</td>
<td width="33%" style="font-family: 'Script Font', cursive, Arial;font-size: 20px;font-weight: 700;">
1000
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="3">
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="font-family: 'Script Font', cursive, Arial;font-size: 20px;font-weight: 700;">
50
</td>
<td style="font-family: 'Script Font', cursive, Arial;font-size: 20px;font-weight: 700;">
500
</td>
<td style="font-family: 'Script Font', cursive, Arial;font-size: 20px;font-weight: 700;">
<input type="text" name="price" placeholder="?" style="font-family: 'Script Font', cursive, Arial;font-size: 20px;font-weight: 700;">
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="3">
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="3" align="right">
<input type="button" name="Pay" value="Pay"
style="width: 200px;background-color: rgb(205, 35, 36);color: #ffffff;"/>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</form>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div><script type='text/javascript'>
/* <![CDATA[ */
var tievar = {'go_to': 'Go to...'};
/* ]]> */
</script>
<script src="/js/tie-scripts.js?1575549704"></script><script src="/js/bootstrap.js?1575549704"></script><script src="/js/jquery.modal.min.js?1578284310"></script><script>
$(document).ready(function() {
// tell the autocomplete function to get its data from our php script
$('#s').autocomplete({
source: "/autocomplete"
});
});
</script>
<script src="/vj-main-sw-register.js" async></script>
<script>function init(){var imgDefer=document.getElementsByTagName('img');for(var i=0;i<imgDefer.length;i++){if(imgDefer[i].getAttribute('data-src')){imgDefer[i].setAttribute('src',imgDefer[i].getAttribute('data-src'))}}}
window.onload=init;</script>
</body>
</html>'
}
$maxBufferLength = (int) 8192
$file = '/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php'
$line = (int) 853
$message = 'Unable to emit headers. Headers sent in file=/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php line=853'
Cake\Http\ResponseEmitter::emit() - CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 48
Cake\Http\Server::emit() - CORE/src/Http/Server.php, line 141
[main] - ROOT/webroot/index.php, line 39
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 148]
$response = object(Cake\Http\Response) {
'status' => (int) 200,
'contentType' => 'text/html',
'headers' => [
'Content-Type' => [
[maximum depth reached]
]
],
'file' => null,
'fileRange' => [],
'cookies' => object(Cake\Http\Cookie\CookieCollection) {},
'cacheDirectives' => [],
'body' => '<!DOCTYPE html>
<!--[if lt IE 7 ]>
<html class="ie ie6" lang='en'> <![endif]-->
<!--[if IE 7 ]>
<html class="ie ie7" lang='en'> <![endif]-->
<!--[if IE 8 ]>
<html class="ie ie8" lang='en'> <![endif]-->
<!--[if (gte IE 9)|!(IE)]><!-->
<html lang='en'>
<!--<![endif]-->
<head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8">
<title>
LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Food Insecurity Bill by Pratap Bhanu Mehta </title>
<meta name="description" content="
The government believes it is more important to be seen to be doing things than to be doing them well. The proposed food security legislation is another example of this tendency. The legislation exemplifies the self-defeating obduracy of bureaucratic modes..."/>
<meta name="keywords" content="food security bill,Right to Food,Food Security"/>
<meta name="news_keywords" content="food security bill,Right to Food,Food Security">
<link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="ROR" href="/ror.xml"/>
<link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="RSS 2.0" href="/feeds/"/>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/bootstrap.min.css?1697864993"/> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/style.css?v=1.1.2"/> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/style-inner.css?1577045210"/> <link rel="stylesheet" id="Oswald-css"
href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Oswald%3Aregular%2C700&ver=3.8.1" type="text/css"
media="all">
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/jquery.modal.min.css?1578285302"/> <script src="/js/jquery-1.10.2.js?1575549704"></script> <script src="/js/jquery-migrate.min.js?1575549704"></script> <link rel="shortcut icon" href="/favicon.ico" title="Favicon">
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/jquery-ui.css?1580720609"/> <script src="/js/jquery-ui.js?1575549704"></script> <link rel="preload" as="style" href="https://www.im4change.org/css/custom.css" onload="this.rel='stylesheet'" media="all" crossorigin="anonymous">
<link rel="preload" as="style" href="https://www.im4change.org/css/jquery.modal.min.css" onload="this.rel='stylesheet'" media="all" crossorigin="anonymous">
<link rel="preload" as="style" href="https://www.im4change.org/css/jquery-ui.css" onload="this.rel='stylesheet'" media="all" crossorigin="anonymous">
<link rel="preload" as="style" href="https://www.im4change.org/css/li-scroller.css" onload="this.rel='stylesheet'" media="all" crossorigin="anonymous">
<!-- <link rel="preload" as="style" href="https://www.im4change.org/css/style.css" onload="this.rel='stylesheet'" media="all" crossorigin="anonymous"> -->
<link rel="preload" as="style" href="https://www.im4change.org/css/style-inner.css" onload="this.rel='stylesheet'" media="all" crossorigin="anonymous">
<link rel='dns-prefetch' href="//im4change.org/css/custom.css" crossorigin >
<link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://www.im4change.org/js/bootstrap.js">
<link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://www.im4change.org/js/jquery.li-scroller.1.0.js">
<link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://www.im4change.org/js/jquery.modal.min.js">
<link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://www.im4change.org/js/jquery.ui.totop.js">
<link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://www.im4change.org/js/jquery-1.10.2.js">
<link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://www.im4change.org/js/jquery-migrate.min.js">
<link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://www.im4change.org/js/jquery-ui.js">
<link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://www.im4change.org/js/setting.js">
<link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://www.im4change.org/js/tie-scripts.js">
<!--[if IE]>
<script type="text/javascript">jQuery(document).ready(function () {
jQuery(".menu-item").has("ul").children("a").attr("aria-haspopup", "true");
});</script>
<![endif]-->
<!--[if lt IE 9]>
<script src="/js/html5.js"></script>
<script src="/js/selectivizr-min.js"></script>
<![endif]-->
<!--[if IE 8]>
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="all" href="/css/ie8.css"/>
<![endif]-->
<meta property="og:title" content="LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Food Insecurity Bill by Pratap Bhanu Mehta" />
<meta property="og:url" content="https://im4change.in/latest-news-updates/food-insecurity-bill-by-pratap-bhanu-mehta-12038.html" />
<meta property="og:type" content="article" />
<meta property="og:description" content="
The government believes it is more important to be seen to be doing things than to be doing them well. The proposed food security legislation is another example of this tendency. The legislation exemplifies the self-defeating obduracy of bureaucratic modes..." />
<meta property="og:image" content="" />
<meta property="fb:app_id" content="0" />
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, maximum-scale=1, user-scalable=no">
<link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="144x144" href="https://im4change.in/images/apple1.png">
<link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="120x120" href="https://im4change.in/images/apple2.png">
<link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="72x72" href="https://im4change.in/images/apple3.png">
<link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" href="https://im4change.in/images/apple4.png">
<style>
.gsc-results-wrapper-overlay{
top: 38% !important;
height: 50% !important;
}
.gsc-search-button-v2{
border-color: #035588 !important;
background-color: #035588 !important;
}
.gsib_a{
height: 30px !important;
padding: 2px 8px 1px 6px !important;
}
.gsc-search-button-v2{
height: 41px !important;
}
input.gsc-input{
background: none !important;
}
@media only screen and (max-width: 600px) {
.gsc-results-wrapper-overlay{
top: 11% !important;
width: 87% !important;
left: 9% !important;
height: 43% !important;
}
.gsc-search-button-v2{
padding: 10px 10px !important;
}
.gsc-input-box{
height: 28px !important;
}
/* .gsib_a {
padding: 0px 9px 4px 9px !important;
}*/
}
@media only screen and (min-width: 1200px) and (max-width: 1920px) {
table.gsc-search-box{
width: 15% !important;
float: right !important;
margin-top: -118px !important;
}
.gsc-search-button-v2 {
padding: 6px !important;
}
}
</style>
<script>
$(function () {
$("#accordion").accordion({
event: "click hoverintent"
});
});
/*
* hoverIntent | Copyright 2011 Brian Cherne
* http://cherne.net/brian/resources/jquery.hoverIntent.html
* modified by the jQuery UI team
*/
$.event.special.hoverintent = {
setup: function () {
$(this).bind("mouseover", jQuery.event.special.hoverintent.handler);
},
teardown: function () {
$(this).unbind("mouseover", jQuery.event.special.hoverintent.handler);
},
handler: function (event) {
var currentX, currentY, timeout,
args = arguments,
target = $(event.target),
previousX = event.pageX,
previousY = event.pageY;
function track(event) {
currentX = event.pageX;
currentY = event.pageY;
}
;
function clear() {
target
.unbind("mousemove", track)
.unbind("mouseout", clear);
clearTimeout(timeout);
}
function handler() {
var prop,
orig = event;
if ((Math.abs(previousX - currentX) +
Math.abs(previousY - currentY)) < 7) {
clear();
event = $.Event("hoverintent");
for (prop in orig) {
if (!(prop in event)) {
event[prop] = orig[prop];
}
}
// Prevent accessing the original event since the new event
// is fired asynchronously and the old event is no longer
// usable (#6028)
delete event.originalEvent;
target.trigger(event);
} else {
previousX = currentX;
previousY = currentY;
timeout = setTimeout(handler, 100);
}
}
timeout = setTimeout(handler, 100);
target.bind({
mousemove: track,
mouseout: clear
});
}
};
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
var _gaq = _gaq || [];
_gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-472075-3']);
_gaq.push(['_trackPageview']);
(function () {
var ga = document.createElement('script');
ga.type = 'text/javascript';
ga.async = true;
ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js';
var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s);
})();
</script>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/custom.css?v=1.16"/> <script src="/js/jquery.ui.totop.js?1575549704"></script> <script src="/js/setting.js?1575549704"></script> <link rel="manifest" href="/manifest.json">
<meta name="theme-color" content="#616163" />
<meta name="apple-mobile-web-app-capable" content="yes">
<meta name="apple-mobile-web-app-status-bar-style" content="black">
<meta name="apple-mobile-web-app-title" content="im4change">
<link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="/icons/logo-192x192.png">
</head>
<body id="top" class="home inner blog">
<div class="background-cover"></div>
<div class="wrapper animated">
<header id="theme-header" class="header_inner" style="position: relative;">
<div class="logo inner_logo" style="left:20px !important">
<a title="Home" href="https://im4change.in/">
<img src="https://im4change.in/images/logo2.jpg?1582080632" class="logo_image" alt="im4change"/> </a>
</div>
<div class="langhindi" style="color: #000;display:none;"
href="https://im4change.in/">
<a class="more-link" href="https://im4change.in/">Home</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/hindi/" class="langbutton ">हिन्दी</a>
</div>
<nav class="fade-in animated2" id="main-nav">
<div class="container">
<div class="main-menu">
<ul class="menu" id="menu-main">
<li class="menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-has-children"
style="left: -40px;"><a
target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/">Home</a>
</li>
<li class="menu-item mega-menu menu-item-type-taxonomy mega-menu menu-item-object-category mega-menu menu-item-has-children parent-list"
style=" margin-left: -40px;"><a href="#">KNOWLEDGE GATEWAY <span class="sub-indicator"></span>
</a>
<div class="mega-menu-block background_menu" style="padding-top:25px;">
<div class="container">
<div class="mega-menu-content">
<div class="mega-menu-item">
<h3><b>Farm Crisis</b></h3>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/farm-crisis/farmers039-suicides-14.html"
class="left postionrel">Farm Suicides </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/farm-crisis/unemployment-30.html"
class="left postionrel">Unemployment </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/farm-crisis/rural-distress-70.html"
class="left postionrel">Rural distress </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/farm-crisis/migration-34.html"
class="left postionrel">Migration </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/farm-crisis/key-facts-72.html"
class="left postionrel">Key Facts </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/farm-crisis/debt-trap-15.html"
class="left postionrel">Debt Trap </a>
</p>
</div>
<div class="mega-menu-item">
<h3><b>Empowerment</b></h3>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/empowerment/union-budget-73.html"
class="left postionrel">Union Budget And Other Economic Policies </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/empowerment/forest-and-tribal-rights-61.html"
class="left postionrel">Forest and Tribal Rights </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/empowerment/right-to-education-60.html"
class="left postionrel">Right to Education </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/empowerment/right-to-food-59.html"
class="left postionrel">Right to Food </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/empowerment/displacement-3279.html"
class="left postionrel">Displacement </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/empowerment/right-to-work-mg-nrega-39.html"
class="left postionrel">Right to Work (MG-NREGA) </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/empowerment/gender-3280.html"
class="left postionrel">GENDER </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/empowerment/right-to-information-58.html"
class="left postionrel">Right to Information </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/empowerment/social-audit-48.html"
class="left postionrel">Social Audit </a>
</p>
</div>
<div class="mega-menu-item">
<h3><b>Hunger / HDI</b></h3>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/hunger-hdi/poverty-and-inequality-20499.html"
class="left postionrel">Poverty and inequality </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/hunger-hdi/malnutrition-41.html"
class="left postionrel">Malnutrition </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/hunger-hdi/public-health-51.html"
class="left postionrel">Public Health </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/hunger-hdi/education-50.html"
class="left postionrel">Education </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/hunger-hdi/hunger-overview-40.html"
class="left postionrel">Hunger Overview </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/hunger-hdi/hdi-overview-45.html"
class="left postionrel">HDI Overview </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/hunger-hdi/pds-ration-food-security-42.html"
class="left postionrel">PDS/ Ration/ Food Security </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/hunger-hdi/sdgs-113.html"
class="left postionrel">SDGs </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/hunger-hdi/mid-day-meal-scheme-mdms-53.html"
class="left postionrel">Mid Day Meal Scheme (MDMS) </a>
</p>
</div>
<div class="mega-menu-item">
<h3><b>Environment</b></h3>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/environment/time-bomb-ticking-52.html"
class="left postionrel">Time Bomb Ticking </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/environment/water-and-sanitation-55.html"
class="left postionrel">Water and Sanitation </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/environment/impact-on-agriculture-54.html"
class="left postionrel">Impact on Agriculture </a>
</p>
</div>
<div class="mega-menu-item">
<h3><b>Law & Justice</b></h3>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/law-justice/social-justice-20500.html"
class="left postionrel">Social Justice </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/law-justice/access-to-justice-47.html"
class="left postionrel">Access to Justice </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/law-justice/human-rights-56.html"
class="left postionrel">Human Rights </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/law-justice/corruption-35.html"
class="left postionrel">Corruption </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/law-justice/general-insecurity-46.html"
class="left postionrel">General Insecurity </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/law-justice/disaster-relief-49.html"
class="left postionrel">Disaster & Relief </a>
</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</li>
<li class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page "><a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/nceus_reports.php">NCEUS reports</a>
</li>
<li class="menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-has-children parent-list ">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/about-us-9.html">About Us <span
class="sub-indicator"></span></a>
<ul class="sub-menu aboutmenu">
<li class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a
target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/objectives-8.html">Objectives</a>
</li>
<li class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a
target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/contactus.php">Contact
Us</a></li>
<li class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a
target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/about-us-9.html">About
Us</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-has-children ">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/fellowships.php" title="Fellowships">Fellowships</a>
</li>
<li class="menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-has-children "><a
target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/media-workshops.php">Workshops</a>
</li>
<li class="menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-has-children "><a
target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/research.php">Research</a></li>
<li class="menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-has-children "><a
target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/links-64">Partners</a></li>
<li class="menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-has-children"
id="menu-item-539"><a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/hindi/"
class="langbutton langlinkfont17">हिन्दी</a></li>
</ul>
</div> </div>
<!-- <div style="float: right;">
<script async src="https://cse.google.com/cse.js?cx=18b4f2e0f11bed3dd"></script>
<div class="gcse-search"></div>
</div> -->
<div class="search-block" style=" margin-left: 8px; margin-right: 7px;">
<form method="get" id="searchform" name="searchform"
action="https://im4change.in/search"
onsubmit="return searchvalidate();">
<button class="search-button" type="submit" value="Search"></button>
<input type="text" id="s" name="qryStr" value=""
onfocus="if (this.value == 'Search...') {this.value = '';}"
onblur="if (this.value == '') {this.value = 'Search...';}">
</form>
</div>
</nav>
</header>
<div class="container">
<div id="main-content" class=" main1 container fade-in animated3 sidebar-narrow-left">
<div class="content-wrap">
<div class="content" style="width: 900px;min-height: 500px;">
<section class="cat-box recent-box innerCatRecent">
<h1 class="cat-box-title">Food Insecurity Bill by Pratap Bhanu Mehta</h1>
<a href="JavaScript:void(0);" onclick="return shareArticle(11919);">
<img src="https://im4change.in/images/email.png?1582080630" border="0" width="24" align="right" alt="Share this article"/> </a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/latest-news-updates/food-insecurity-bill-by-pratap-bhanu-mehta-12038/print"
rel="nofollow">
<img src="https://im4change.in/images/icon-print.png?1582080630" border="0" width="24" align="right" alt="Share this article"/>
</a>
</section>
<section class="recent-box innerCatRecent">
<small class="pb-1"><span class="dateIcn">
<img src="https://im4change.in/images/published.svg?1582080666" alt="published"/>
Published on</span><span class="text-date"> Dec 14, 2011</span>
<span
class="dateIcn">
<img src="https://im4change.in/images/modified.svg?1582080666" alt="modified"/> Modified on </span><span class="text-date"> Dec 14, 2011</span>
</small>
</section>
<div class="clear"></div>
<div style="padding-top: 10px;">
<div class="innerLineHeight">
<div class="middleContent innerInput latest-news-updates">
<table>
<tr>
<td>
<div>
<br /><div align="justify">The government believes it is more important to be seen to be doing things than to be doing them well. The proposed food security legislation is another example of this tendency. The legislation exemplifies the self-defeating obduracy of bureaucratic modes of thinking. But the debate around it also exemplifies a failure of intellectual argument in India. Our debates often have this character. First, we spend a lot more time arguing about the destination than necessary. It is absolutely unconscionable that the need for a credible food security system still needs to be argued. Then we have a slightly more productive discussion about the route to get there. Some will argue that the Public Distribution System, though currently broken, can be fixed. Others will argue we need to replace food with cash. Sometimes these debates are in good faith. But sometimes in these debates, as in identity politics, belief chases evidence, not the other way round. But once we have, for good or for ill, chosen a route, we stop caring whether we will drive well enough to get to the destination. Or, worse still, we will actively subvert whatever route has been chosen. Often this is because each side can say, “I told you PDS won’t work.” Or, “I told you private provisioning won’t work.” We make sure that the conditions that might make the chosen architecture work do not obtain. But here is where a little generosity may help. It is possible to say: We should have chosen a different route. But now that we have chosen this route, let us ask how we can gain most from it. Like politicians, our debates are more interested in scoring points, than making progress.<br /><br />The debate about the architecture of food security is important. Given the realities of procurement, and the unconscionable deprivation on the ground, PDS is probably still a workable bet. But both PDS supporters and sceptics ought to join forces in recognising that the current bill needs revision, from within its own paradigm. It has a few promising features. But its approach to PDS lacks the central element of good legislation: integrity. A scheme must be a good-faith effort to implement what has a high probability of working, than to continue with premises you know will fail. The one thing that there is near consensus on is this: the more a scheme relies on complex targeting, the more likely it is to fail. Even with the latest, Janani Suraksha Yojana, there is evidence that states which universalised it had greater gains than states which had targeting. Universality or self-targeting is not a sufficient condition for a scheme’s success. But it seems to be one of the conditions of making success possible. You can do clear exclusions of the very privileged. But the numbers involved are so small that the gains are not clear.<br /><br />But what does the new legislation do? It creates Orwellian categories like priority households and general category households. And it introduces more forms of differential pricing. In short, it wilfully incorporates into its design three features that have made schemes in the past a failure: impractical targeting categories, administrative complexity, and incentives to game. It almost reads like a set-up. Instead, it would be far better to do what Jean Dreze has proposed: keep the scheme simple. It will have more integrity and chance of success. Exclude those who come under the unambiguous automatic exclusion criteria, if you must. But keep one category of beneficiaries, and a standard amount of 25 kilograms. And keep the one scheme that has worked relatively better: Antyodaya.<br /><br />The point about administrative simplicity is not peripheral to design; it is central to it. The BPL lists have been such a moral and administrative travesty. One of the ironies of the Indian system is that subsidies that benefit the privileged, like fuel subsidies, are couched in universalistic terms. But those from which the poor benefit are always targeted. This is doubly insulting to the poor. It makes it sound as if what the poor are getting is some special dispensation rather than a right enjoyed by all. But after all the fiascos with classification, it will take a psychoanalyst to diagnose why the Indian state continues to reinstate untenable categories. Perhaps it is more interested in defining the poor than helping them.<br /><br />The second aspect of integrity is this: if the objective is important, then we find the means to achieve it, instead of letting false assumptions about means to achieve the ends guide formulation of ends. The ministry of agriculture and the Planning Commission have consistently let some warped sense of means subvert the achievement of ends. They are not interested in food security or nutrition. They are interested in classifications, poverty caps, export prices, etc. Some of these concerns are well placed. It is vital that any procurement scheme must not diminish incentives for farmers. But not a single one of those proposing universalisation or near-universalisation, like Abhijit Sen, Himanshu or Jean Dreze, is exceeding reasonable procurement targets. There is something seriously amiss when we suggest with a straight face that we don’t have the money or the grain to guarantee food security.<br /><br />A government, planning wizard that it is, also has to plan for what it cannot do. So in case the government cannot give you food it will give food security wages instead. It is hard to know what to make of this idea: it introduces cash by the backdoor. Whether it is a good idea cannot be debated. But something about elementary political economy tells you that if you introduce cash in a scheme not designed for it, the incentives to game the system increase dramatically.<br /><br />The bill gives you the impression that it will create the worst of all worlds. It will increase expenditure. But the administrative imagination that has gone into it will ensure that the outcomes are deeply disappointing. It is almost as if someone in government is saying, if you make me do PDS, I will do my best to ensure it does not work. In intellectual debates we will use this as a pretext to say public or private cannot work. And politicians, typically, think the politics of being seen with the poor is one thing, wrestling with the administrative protocols that have imprisoned the poor quite another. As a society we disagree on many things. But it will be a travesty if we cannot agree that our failures on food security are not a tragedy, they are a scandal.<br /><br /><em>The writer is president, Centre for Policy Research, Delhi</em></div>
</div>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="clear"></div>
<br><a href="http://www.indianexpress.com/news/food-insecurity-bill/887452/" class="re" target="_blank">The Indian Express, 14 December, 2011, http://www.indianexpress.com/news/food-insecurity-bill/887452/</a><div class="clear"></div>
<div style="padding-top: 18px;">
<p class="post-tag">Tagged with:
<a class="tagcloud5"
href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=food security bill"
title="food security bill">
food security bill </a>
<a class="tagcloud5"
href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Right to Food"
title="Right to Food">
Right to Food </a>
<a class="tagcloud5"
href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Food Security"
title="Food Security">
Food Security </a>
</p>
</div>
<div class="clear"></div>
<br><br>
<div class="widget-top">
<h4>Related Articles</h4>
<div class="stripe-line"></div>
</div>
<div class="widget-container">
<ul id="recentcomments">
<li class="recentcomments">
<a href="https://im4change.in/latest-news-updates/hunger-and-malnutrition-in-india-after-a-decade-of-the-national-food-security-act-2013-neetu-sharma-jyotsna-sripada-shruthi-raman.html"
title="Hunger and Malnutrition in India after a Decade of the National Food Security Act, 2013 - Neetu Sharma, Jyotsna Sripada, Shruthi Raman">
Hunger and Malnutrition in India after a Decade of the National Food Security Act, 2013 - Neetu Sharma, Jyotsna Sripada, Shruthi Raman </a>
</li>
<li class="recentcomments">
<a href="https://im4change.in/latest-news-updates/monsoon-2023-to-be-below-normal-amid-el-nino-threat-forecasts-skymet-economic-times.html"
title="Monsoon 2023 to be below normal amid El Nino threat, forecasts Skymet - Economic Times">
Monsoon 2023 to be below normal amid El Nino threat, forecasts Skymet - Economic Times </a>
</li>
<li class="recentcomments">
<a href="https://im4change.in/news-alerts-57/news-alert-real-wages-declined-for-rural-indians-in-2022-a-year-when-the-economy-somewhat-recovered.html"
title="Real Wages Declined for Rural Indians in 2022, a Year When the Economy Somewhat Recovered ">
Real Wages Declined for Rural Indians in 2022, a Year When the Economy Somewhat Recovered </a>
</li>
<li class="recentcomments">
<a href="https://im4change.in/latest-news-updates/expand-pds-to-include-non-ration-card-holders-and-10-crore-excluded-by-using-old-census-figures-right-to-food-campaign.html"
title="Expand PDS to include non-ration card holders and 10 crore excluded by using old census figures: Right to Food Campaign">
Expand PDS to include non-ration card holders and 10 crore excluded by using old census figures: Right to Food Campaign </a>
</li>
<li class="recentcomments">
<a href="https://im4change.in/latest-news-updates/costly-wheat-and-the-cloud-over-our-daily-bread-sayantan-bera.html"
title="Costly wheat and the cloud over our daily bread - Sayantan Bera">
Costly wheat and the cloud over our daily bread - Sayantan Bera </a>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="comment-respond" id="respond">
<a name="commentbox"> </a>
<h3 class="comment-reply-title" id="reply-title">Write Comments</h3>
<form method="post" accept-charset="utf-8" role="form" action="/latest-news-updates/food-insecurity-bill-by-pratap-bhanu-mehta-12038.html"><div style="display:none;"><input type="hidden" name="_method" value="POST"/></div> <form class="comment-form" id="commentform" method="post" action="#commentbox" onSubmit="return validate()"
name="cmtform">
<input type="hidden" name="cmttype" value="articlecmt"/>
<input type="hidden" name="article_id" value="11919"/>
<p class="comment-notes">Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked <span
class="required">*</span></p>
<p class="comment-form-author">
<label for="commenterName">Name</label>
<span class="required">*</span>
<input type="text" aria-required="true" size="30"
value=""
name="commenterName" id="commenterName" required="true">
</p>
<p class="comment-form-email">
<label for="commenterEmail">Email</label> <span class="required">*</span>
<input aria-required="true" size="30" name="commenterEmail" id="commenterEmail" type="email"
value=""
required="true">
</p>
<p class="comment-form-contact">
<label for="commenterPh">Contact No.</label>
<input type="text" size="30"
value=""
name="commenterPh" id="commenterPh">
</p>
<p class="comment-form-comment">
<label for="comment">Comment</label>
<textarea aria-required="true" required="true" rows="8" cols="45" name="comment"
id="comment"></textarea>
</p>
<p class="comment-form-comment">
<label for="comment">Type the characters you see in the image below <span class="required">*</span><br><img
class="captchaImg"
src="https://im4change.in/securimage_show_art.php?tk=343883231" alt="captcha"/>
</label>
</p>
<input type="text" name="vrcode" required="true"/>
<p class="form-submit" style="width: 200px;">
<input type="submit" value="Post Comment" id="submit" name="submit">
</p></form>
</div>
<style>
.ui-widget-content {
height: auto !important;
}
</style>
<div id="share-modal"></div>
<style>
.middleContent a{
background-color: rgba(108,172,228,.2);
}
.middleContent a:hover{
background-color: #418fde;
border-color: #418fde;
color: #000;
}
</style>
<script>
function shareArticle(article_id) {
var options = {
modal: true,
height: 'auto',
width: 600 + 'px'
};
$('#share-modal').html("");
$('#share-modal').load('https://im4change.in/share_article?article_id=' + article_id).dialog(options).dialog('open');
}
function postShare() {
var param = 'article_id=' + $("#article_id").val();
param = param + '&y_name=' + $("#y_name").val();
param = param + '&y_email=' + $("#y_email").val();
param = param + '&f_name=' + $("#f_name").val();
param = param + '&f_email=' + $("#f_email").val();
param = param + '&y_msg=' + $("#y_msg").val();
$.ajax({
type: "POST",
url: 'https://im4change.in/post_share_article',
data: param,
success: function (response) {
$('#share-modal').html("Thank You, Your message posted to ");
}
});
return false;
}
</script> </div>
</div>
<!-- Right Side Section Start -->
<!-- MAP Section START -->
<aside class="sidebar indexMarg">
<div class="ad-cell">
<a href="https://im4change.in/statemap.php" title="">
<img src="https://im4change.in/images/map_new_version.png?1582080666" alt="India State Map" class="indiamap" width="232" height="252"/> </a>
<div class="rightmapbox">
<div id="sideOne" class="docltitle"><a href="https://im4change.in/state-report/india/36" target="_blank">DOCUMENTS/
REPORTS</a></div>
<div id="sideTwo" class="statetitle"><a href="https://im4change.in/states.php"target="_blank">STATE DATA/
HDRs.</a></div>
</div>
<div class="widget widgePadTop"></div>
</div>
</aside>
<!-- MAP Section END -->
<aside class="sidebar sidePadbottom">
<div class="rightsmlbox1" >
<a href="https://im4change.in/knowledge_gateway" target="_blank" style="color: #035588;
font-size: 17px;">
KNOWLEDGE GATEWAY
</a>
</div>
<div class="rightsmlbox1">
<div>
<p class="rightsmlbox1_title">
<a href="https://im4change.in/newsletter" target="_blank">
NEWSLETTER
</a>
</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="rightsmlbox1" style="height: 325px;">
<div>
<p class="rightsmlbox1_title">
Interview with Prof. Ravi Srivastava
</p>
<p class="rightsmlbox1_title">
<a href="https://im4change.in/video/interview-with-prof-ravi-srivastava-on-current-economic-crisis">
<img width="250" height="200" src="/images/interview_video_home.jpg" alt="Interview with Prof. Ravi Srivastava"/>
</a>
<!--
<iframe width="250" height="200" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MmaTlntk-wc" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>-->
</p>
<a href="https://im4change.in/videogallery" class="more-link CatArchalAnch1" target="_blank">
More videos
</a>
</div>
</div>
<div class="rightsmlbox1">
<div>
<!--div id="sstory" class="rightboxicons"></div--->
<p class="rightsmlbox1_title"><a href="https://im4change.in/list-success-stories" target="_blank">Success Stories</a></p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="rightsmlbox1">
<div>
<p class="rightsmlbox1_title"><a
href="https://im4change.in/interviews" target="_blank">Interviews</a>
</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="rightsmlbox1">
<div>
<p class="rightsmlbox1_title"><a href="https://www.commoncause.in/page.php?id=10" >Donate</a></p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="rightsmlbox1">
<div>
<p class="rightsmlbox1_title"><a
href="https://im4change.in/marquee"
class="isf_link more-link" title="India Focus?" style="border: 4px solid #fdd922;width: 90%;background-color: #fdd922;text-align: center;color: #000000;font-size:18px" target="_blank">India Focus</a></p> </div>
</div>
<div class="rightsmlbox1" style="height: 104px !important;">
<a href="https://im4change.in/quarterly_reports.php" target="_blank">
Quarterly Reports on Effect of Economic Slowdown on Employment in India (2008 - 2015)
</a>
</div>
<!-- <div class="rightsmlbox1">
<a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.im4.im4change" target="_blank">
</a></div> -->
<!-- <section class="cat-box recent-box secMarg">
<h2 class="cat-box-title">Most Visited</h2>
</section> -->
<!-- accordion Starts here -->
<!-- <div id="accordion" class="accordMarg">
</div> -->
<!-- accordion ends here -->
<!-- Widget Tag Cloud Starts here -->
<div id="tag_cloud-2" class="widget widget_tag_cloud">
<section class="cat-box recent-box secMarg">
<h2 class="cat-box-title">MOST VISITED TAGS</h2>
</section>
<div class="widget-top wiPdTp">
<div class="stripe-line"></div>
</div>
<div class="widget-container">
<div class="tagcloud">
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Agriculture"
target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Agriculture</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Food Security"
target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Food Security</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Law and Justice"
target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Law and Justice</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Health"
target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Health</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Right to Food"
target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Right to Food</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Corruption"
target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Corruption</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=farming"
target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">farming</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Environment"
target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Environment</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Right to Information"
target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Right to Information</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=NREGS"
target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">NREGS</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Human Rights"
target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Human Rights</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Governance"
target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Governance</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=PDS"
target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">PDS</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=COVID-19"
target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">COVID-19</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Land Acquisition"
target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Land Acquisition</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=mgnrega"
target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">mgnrega</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Farmers"
target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Farmers</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=transparency"
target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">transparency</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Gender"
target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Gender</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Poverty"
target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Poverty</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Farm Laws" target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Farm Laws
</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Citizenship Amendment Act" target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Citizenship Amendment Act
</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=CAA NPR NRIC" target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">CAA NPR NRIC
</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Job Losses" target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Job Losses
</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Migrant Workers" target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Migrant Workers
</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Unemployment" target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Unemployment
</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=PMGKAY" target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">PMGKAY
</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=PM-KISAN" target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">PM-KISAN
</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=PM-CARES" target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">PM-CARES
</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=LFPR" target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">LFPR
</a>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<!-- Widget Tag Cloud Ends here -->
</aside>
<!-- Right Side Section End -->
</div>
<section class="cat-box cats-review-box footerSec">
<h2 class="cat-box-title vSec CatArcha">Video
Archives</h2>
<h2 class="cat-box-title CatArchaTitle">Archives</h2>
<div class="cat-box-content">
<div class="reviews-cat">
<div class="CatArchaDiv1">
<div class="CatArchaDiv2">
<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://im4change.in/news-alerts-57/moving-upstream-luni-fellowship.html" target="_blank">
Moving Upstream: Luni – Fellowship </a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://im4change.in/news-alerts-57/135-million-indians-exited-multidimensional-poverty-as-per-government-figures-is-that-the-same-as-poverty-reduction.html" target="_blank">
135 Million Indians Exited “Multidimensional" Poverty as per Government... </a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://im4change.in/news-alerts-57/explainer-why-are-tomato-prices-on-fire.html" target="_blank">
Explainer: Why are Tomato Prices on Fire? </a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://im4change.in/news-alerts-57/nsso-survey-only-39-1-of-all-households-have-drinking-water-within-dwelling-46-7-of-rural-households-use-firewood-for-cooking.html" target="_blank">
NSSO Survey: Only 39.1% of all Households have Drinking... </a>
</li>
<li class="CatArchalLi1">
<a href="https://im4change.in/news-alerts-57"
class="more-link CatArchalAnch1" target="_blank">
More...
</a>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="CatArchaWidth">
<img class="CatArchaImg"
src="https://img.youtube.com/vi/I51LYnP8BOk/1.jpg"
alt=" Im4Change.org हिंदी वेबसाइट का परिचय. Short Video on im4change.org...">
<p class="CatArchaPPad">
<a href="https://im4change.in/video/Short-Video-on-im4change-Hindi-website-Inclusive-Media-for-Change" target="_blank">
Im4Change.org हिंदी वेबसाइट का परिचय. Short Video on im4change.org... </a>
</p>
</div>
<div class="CatArchaWidth">
<img class="CatArchaImg"
src="https://img.youtube.com/vi/kNqha-SwfIY/1.jpg"
alt=" "Session 1: Scope of IDEA and AgriStack" in Exploring...">
<p class="CatArchaPPad">
<a href="https://im4change.in/video/Session-1- Scope-of-IDEA-and-AgriStack-in-Exploring-Digitalisation-in-Agriculture-29-April-2022" target="_blank">
"Session 1: Scope of IDEA and AgriStack" in Exploring... </a>
</p>
</div>
<div class="CatArchaWidth">
<img class="CatArchaImg"
src="https://img.youtube.com/vi/6kIVjlgZItk/1.jpg"
alt=" "Session 2: Farmer Centric Digitalisation in Agriculture" in Exploring...">
<p class="CatArchaPPad">
<a href="https://im4change.in/video/Session-2-Farmer-Centric-Digitalisation-in-Agriculture-in-Exploring-Digitalisation-in-Agriculture-29-April-2022" target="_blank">
"Session 2: Farmer Centric Digitalisation in Agriculture" in Exploring... </a>
</p>
</div>
<div class="CatArchaWidth">
<img class="CatArchaImg"
src="https://img.youtube.com/vi/2BeHTu0y7xc/1.jpg"
alt=" "Session 3: Future of Digitalisation in Agriculture" in Exploring...">
<p class="CatArchaPPad">
<a href="https://im4change.in/video/Session-3-Future-of-Digitalisation-in-Agriculture-in-Exploring-Digitalisation-in-Agriculture-29-April-2022" target="_blank">
"Session 3: Future of Digitalisation in Agriculture" in Exploring... </a>
</p>
</div>
<div class="divWidth">
<ul class="divWidthMarg">
<li>
<a href="https://im4change.in/video/Public-Spending-on-Agriculture-in-India-Source-Foundation-for-Agrarian-Studies"
title="Public Spending on Agriculture in India (Source: Foundation for Agrarian Studies)" target="_blank">
Public Spending on Agriculture in India (Source: Foundation for...</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://im4change.in/video/Agrarian-Change-Seminar-Protests-against-the-New-Farm-Laws-in-India-by-Prof-Vikas-Rawal-JNU-Source-Journal-Of-Agrarian-Change"
title="Agrarian Change Seminar: 'Protests against the New Farm Laws in India' by Prof. Vikas Rawal, JNU (Source: Journal Of Agrarian Change) " target="_blank">
Agrarian Change Seminar: 'Protests against the New Farm Laws...</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://im4change.in/video/Webinar-Ramrao-The-Story-of-India-Farm-Crisis-Source-Azim-Premji-University"
title="Webinar: Ramrao - The Story of India's Farm Crisis (Source: Azim Premji University)" target="_blank">
Webinar: Ramrao - The Story of India's Farm Crisis...</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://im4change.in/video/water-and-agricultural-transformation-in-India"
title="Water and Agricultural Transformation in India: A Symbiotic Relationship (Source: IGIDR)" target="_blank">
Water and Agricultural Transformation in India: A Symbiotic Relationship...</a>
</li>
<li class="CatArchalLi1">
<a href="https://im4change.in/videogallery"
class="more-link CatArchalAnch1" target="_blank">
More...
</a>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</section> </div>
<div class="clear"></div>
<!-- Footer option Starts here -->
<div class="footer-bottom fade-in animated4">
<div class="container">
<div class="social-icons icon_flat">
<p class="SocialMargTop"> Website Developed by <a target="_blank" title="Web Development"
class="wot right"
href="http://www.ravinderkhurana.com/" rel="nofollow">
RAVINDErkHURANA.com</a></p>
</div>
<div class="alignleft">
<a
target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/objectives-8.html"
class="link"
title="Objectives">Objectives</a> | <a
target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/about-us-9.html"
class="link" title="About Us">About Us</a> | <a
target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/media-workshops.php"
class="ucwords">Workshops</a> | <a
target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/disclaimer/disclaimer-149.html"
title="Disclaimer">Disclaimer</a> </div>
</div>
</div>
<!-- Footer option ends here -->
</div>
<div id="connect">
<a target="_blank"
href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://im4change.in/latest-news-updates/food-insecurity-bill-by-pratap-bhanu-mehta-12038.html"
title="Share on Facebook">
<img src="https://im4change.in/images/Facebook.png?1582080640" alt="share on Facebook" class="ImgBorder"/>
</a><br/>
<a target="_blank"
href="http://twitter.com/share?text=Im4change&url=https://im4change.in/latest-news-updates/food-insecurity-bill-by-pratap-bhanu-mehta-12038.html"
title="Share on Twitter">
<img src="https://im4change.in/images/twitter.png?1582080632" alt="Twitter" class="ImgBorder"/> </a>
<br/>
<a href="/feeds" title="RSS Feed" target="_blank">
<img src="https://im4change.in/images/rss.png?1582080632" alt="RSS" class="ImgBorder"/>
</a>
<br/>
<a class="feedback-link" id="feedbackFormLink" href="#">
<img src="https://im4change.in/images/feedback.png?1582080630" alt="Feedback" class="ImgBorder"/>
</a> <br/>
<a href="javascript:function iprl5(){var d=document,z=d.createElement('scr'+'ipt'),b=d.body,l=d.location;try{if(!b)throw(0);d.title='(Saving...) '+d.title;z.setAttribute('src',l.protocol+'//www.instapaper.com/j/WKrH3R7ORD5p?u='+encodeURIComponent(l.href)+'&t='+(new Date().getTime()));b.appendChild(z);}catch(e){alert('Please wait until the page has loaded.');}}iprl5();void(0)"
class="bookmarklet" onclick="return explain_bookmarklet();">
<img src="https://im4change.in/images/read-it-later.png?1582080632" alt="Read Later" class="ImgBorder"/> </a>
</div>
<!-- Feedback form Starts here -->
<div id="feedbackForm" class="overlay_form" class="ImgBorder">
<h2>Contact Form</h2>
<div id="contactform1">
<div id="formleft">
<form id="submitform" action="/contactus.php" method="post">
<input type="hidden" name="submitform" value="submitform"/>
<input type="hidden" name="salt_key" value="a0e0f2c6a0644a70e57ad2c96829709a"/>
<input type="hidden" name="ref" value="feedback"/>
<fieldset>
<label>Name :</label>
<input type="text" name="name" class="tbox" required/>
</fieldset>
<fieldset>
<label>Email :</label>
<input type="text" name="email" class="tbox" required/>
</fieldset>
<fieldset>
<label>Message :</label>
<textarea rows="5" cols="20" name="message" required></textarea>
</fieldset>
<fieldset>
Please enter security code
<div class="clear"></div>
<input type="text" name="vrcode" class="tbox"/>
</fieldset>
<fieldset>
<input type="submit" class="button" value="Submit"/>
<a href="#" id="closefeedbakcformLink">Close</a>
</fieldset>
</form>
</div>
<div class="clearfix"></div>
</div>
</div>
<div id="donate_popup" class="modal" style="max-width: 800px;">
<table width="100%" border="1">
<tr>
<td colspan="2" align="center">
<b>Support im4change</b>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="25%" valign="middle">
<img src="https://im4change.in/images/logo2.jpg?1582080632" alt="" width="100%"/> </td>
<td style="padding-left:10px;padding-top:10px;">
<form action="https://im4change.in/donate" method="get">
<table width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2">
<tr>
<td width="33%" style="font-family: 'Script Font', cursive, Arial;font-size: 20px;font-weight: 700;">
10
</td>
<td width="33%" style="font-family: 'Script Font', cursive, Arial;font-size: 20px;font-weight: 700;">
100
</td>
<td width="33%" style="font-family: 'Script Font', cursive, Arial;font-size: 20px;font-weight: 700;">
1000
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="3">
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="font-family: 'Script Font', cursive, Arial;font-size: 20px;font-weight: 700;">
50
</td>
<td style="font-family: 'Script Font', cursive, Arial;font-size: 20px;font-weight: 700;">
500
</td>
<td style="font-family: 'Script Font', cursive, Arial;font-size: 20px;font-weight: 700;">
<input type="text" name="price" placeholder="?" style="font-family: 'Script Font', cursive, Arial;font-size: 20px;font-weight: 700;">
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="3">
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="3" align="right">
<input type="button" name="Pay" value="Pay"
style="width: 200px;background-color: rgb(205, 35, 36);color: #ffffff;"/>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</form>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div><script type='text/javascript'>
/* <![CDATA[ */
var tievar = {'go_to': 'Go to...'};
/* ]]> */
</script>
<script src="/js/tie-scripts.js?1575549704"></script><script src="/js/bootstrap.js?1575549704"></script><script src="/js/jquery.modal.min.js?1578284310"></script><script>
$(document).ready(function() {
// tell the autocomplete function to get its data from our php script
$('#s').autocomplete({
source: "/autocomplete"
});
});
</script>
<script src="/vj-main-sw-register.js" async></script>
<script>function init(){var imgDefer=document.getElementsByTagName('img');for(var i=0;i<imgDefer.length;i++){if(imgDefer[i].getAttribute('data-src')){imgDefer[i].setAttribute('src',imgDefer[i].getAttribute('data-src'))}}}
window.onload=init;</script>
</body>
</html>'
}
$reasonPhrase = 'OK'
header - [internal], line ??
Cake\Http\ResponseEmitter::emitStatusLine() - CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 148
Cake\Http\ResponseEmitter::emit() - CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 54
Cake\Http\Server::emit() - CORE/src/Http/Server.php, line 141
[main] - ROOT/webroot/index.php, line 39
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 181]
$response = object(Cake\Http\Response) {
'status' => (int) 200,
'contentType' => 'text/html',
'headers' => [
'Content-Type' => [
[maximum depth reached]
]
],
'file' => null,
'fileRange' => [],
'cookies' => object(Cake\Http\Cookie\CookieCollection) {},
'cacheDirectives' => [],
'body' => '<!DOCTYPE html>
<!--[if lt IE 7 ]>
<html class="ie ie6" lang='en'> <![endif]-->
<!--[if IE 7 ]>
<html class="ie ie7" lang='en'> <![endif]-->
<!--[if IE 8 ]>
<html class="ie ie8" lang='en'> <![endif]-->
<!--[if (gte IE 9)|!(IE)]><!-->
<html lang='en'>
<!--<![endif]-->
<head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8">
<title>
LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Food Insecurity Bill by Pratap Bhanu Mehta </title>
<meta name="description" content="
The government believes it is more important to be seen to be doing things than to be doing them well. The proposed food security legislation is another example of this tendency. The legislation exemplifies the self-defeating obduracy of bureaucratic modes..."/>
<meta name="keywords" content="food security bill,Right to Food,Food Security"/>
<meta name="news_keywords" content="food security bill,Right to Food,Food Security">
<link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="ROR" href="/ror.xml"/>
<link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="RSS 2.0" href="/feeds/"/>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/bootstrap.min.css?1697864993"/> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/style.css?v=1.1.2"/> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/style-inner.css?1577045210"/> <link rel="stylesheet" id="Oswald-css"
href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Oswald%3Aregular%2C700&ver=3.8.1" type="text/css"
media="all">
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/jquery.modal.min.css?1578285302"/> <script src="/js/jquery-1.10.2.js?1575549704"></script> <script src="/js/jquery-migrate.min.js?1575549704"></script> <link rel="shortcut icon" href="/favicon.ico" title="Favicon">
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/jquery-ui.css?1580720609"/> <script src="/js/jquery-ui.js?1575549704"></script> <link rel="preload" as="style" href="https://www.im4change.org/css/custom.css" onload="this.rel='stylesheet'" media="all" crossorigin="anonymous">
<link rel="preload" as="style" href="https://www.im4change.org/css/jquery.modal.min.css" onload="this.rel='stylesheet'" media="all" crossorigin="anonymous">
<link rel="preload" as="style" href="https://www.im4change.org/css/jquery-ui.css" onload="this.rel='stylesheet'" media="all" crossorigin="anonymous">
<link rel="preload" as="style" href="https://www.im4change.org/css/li-scroller.css" onload="this.rel='stylesheet'" media="all" crossorigin="anonymous">
<!-- <link rel="preload" as="style" href="https://www.im4change.org/css/style.css" onload="this.rel='stylesheet'" media="all" crossorigin="anonymous"> -->
<link rel="preload" as="style" href="https://www.im4change.org/css/style-inner.css" onload="this.rel='stylesheet'" media="all" crossorigin="anonymous">
<link rel='dns-prefetch' href="//im4change.org/css/custom.css" crossorigin >
<link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://www.im4change.org/js/bootstrap.js">
<link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://www.im4change.org/js/jquery.li-scroller.1.0.js">
<link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://www.im4change.org/js/jquery.modal.min.js">
<link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://www.im4change.org/js/jquery.ui.totop.js">
<link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://www.im4change.org/js/jquery-1.10.2.js">
<link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://www.im4change.org/js/jquery-migrate.min.js">
<link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://www.im4change.org/js/jquery-ui.js">
<link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://www.im4change.org/js/setting.js">
<link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://www.im4change.org/js/tie-scripts.js">
<!--[if IE]>
<script type="text/javascript">jQuery(document).ready(function () {
jQuery(".menu-item").has("ul").children("a").attr("aria-haspopup", "true");
});</script>
<![endif]-->
<!--[if lt IE 9]>
<script src="/js/html5.js"></script>
<script src="/js/selectivizr-min.js"></script>
<![endif]-->
<!--[if IE 8]>
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="all" href="/css/ie8.css"/>
<![endif]-->
<meta property="og:title" content="LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Food Insecurity Bill by Pratap Bhanu Mehta" />
<meta property="og:url" content="https://im4change.in/latest-news-updates/food-insecurity-bill-by-pratap-bhanu-mehta-12038.html" />
<meta property="og:type" content="article" />
<meta property="og:description" content="
The government believes it is more important to be seen to be doing things than to be doing them well. The proposed food security legislation is another example of this tendency. The legislation exemplifies the self-defeating obduracy of bureaucratic modes..." />
<meta property="og:image" content="" />
<meta property="fb:app_id" content="0" />
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, maximum-scale=1, user-scalable=no">
<link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="144x144" href="https://im4change.in/images/apple1.png">
<link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="120x120" href="https://im4change.in/images/apple2.png">
<link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="72x72" href="https://im4change.in/images/apple3.png">
<link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" href="https://im4change.in/images/apple4.png">
<style>
.gsc-results-wrapper-overlay{
top: 38% !important;
height: 50% !important;
}
.gsc-search-button-v2{
border-color: #035588 !important;
background-color: #035588 !important;
}
.gsib_a{
height: 30px !important;
padding: 2px 8px 1px 6px !important;
}
.gsc-search-button-v2{
height: 41px !important;
}
input.gsc-input{
background: none !important;
}
@media only screen and (max-width: 600px) {
.gsc-results-wrapper-overlay{
top: 11% !important;
width: 87% !important;
left: 9% !important;
height: 43% !important;
}
.gsc-search-button-v2{
padding: 10px 10px !important;
}
.gsc-input-box{
height: 28px !important;
}
/* .gsib_a {
padding: 0px 9px 4px 9px !important;
}*/
}
@media only screen and (min-width: 1200px) and (max-width: 1920px) {
table.gsc-search-box{
width: 15% !important;
float: right !important;
margin-top: -118px !important;
}
.gsc-search-button-v2 {
padding: 6px !important;
}
}
</style>
<script>
$(function () {
$("#accordion").accordion({
event: "click hoverintent"
});
});
/*
* hoverIntent | Copyright 2011 Brian Cherne
* http://cherne.net/brian/resources/jquery.hoverIntent.html
* modified by the jQuery UI team
*/
$.event.special.hoverintent = {
setup: function () {
$(this).bind("mouseover", jQuery.event.special.hoverintent.handler);
},
teardown: function () {
$(this).unbind("mouseover", jQuery.event.special.hoverintent.handler);
},
handler: function (event) {
var currentX, currentY, timeout,
args = arguments,
target = $(event.target),
previousX = event.pageX,
previousY = event.pageY;
function track(event) {
currentX = event.pageX;
currentY = event.pageY;
}
;
function clear() {
target
.unbind("mousemove", track)
.unbind("mouseout", clear);
clearTimeout(timeout);
}
function handler() {
var prop,
orig = event;
if ((Math.abs(previousX - currentX) +
Math.abs(previousY - currentY)) < 7) {
clear();
event = $.Event("hoverintent");
for (prop in orig) {
if (!(prop in event)) {
event[prop] = orig[prop];
}
}
// Prevent accessing the original event since the new event
// is fired asynchronously and the old event is no longer
// usable (#6028)
delete event.originalEvent;
target.trigger(event);
} else {
previousX = currentX;
previousY = currentY;
timeout = setTimeout(handler, 100);
}
}
timeout = setTimeout(handler, 100);
target.bind({
mousemove: track,
mouseout: clear
});
}
};
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
var _gaq = _gaq || [];
_gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-472075-3']);
_gaq.push(['_trackPageview']);
(function () {
var ga = document.createElement('script');
ga.type = 'text/javascript';
ga.async = true;
ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js';
var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s);
})();
</script>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/custom.css?v=1.16"/> <script src="/js/jquery.ui.totop.js?1575549704"></script> <script src="/js/setting.js?1575549704"></script> <link rel="manifest" href="/manifest.json">
<meta name="theme-color" content="#616163" />
<meta name="apple-mobile-web-app-capable" content="yes">
<meta name="apple-mobile-web-app-status-bar-style" content="black">
<meta name="apple-mobile-web-app-title" content="im4change">
<link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="/icons/logo-192x192.png">
</head>
<body id="top" class="home inner blog">
<div class="background-cover"></div>
<div class="wrapper animated">
<header id="theme-header" class="header_inner" style="position: relative;">
<div class="logo inner_logo" style="left:20px !important">
<a title="Home" href="https://im4change.in/">
<img src="https://im4change.in/images/logo2.jpg?1582080632" class="logo_image" alt="im4change"/> </a>
</div>
<div class="langhindi" style="color: #000;display:none;"
href="https://im4change.in/">
<a class="more-link" href="https://im4change.in/">Home</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/hindi/" class="langbutton ">हिन्दी</a>
</div>
<nav class="fade-in animated2" id="main-nav">
<div class="container">
<div class="main-menu">
<ul class="menu" id="menu-main">
<li class="menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-has-children"
style="left: -40px;"><a
target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/">Home</a>
</li>
<li class="menu-item mega-menu menu-item-type-taxonomy mega-menu menu-item-object-category mega-menu menu-item-has-children parent-list"
style=" margin-left: -40px;"><a href="#">KNOWLEDGE GATEWAY <span class="sub-indicator"></span>
</a>
<div class="mega-menu-block background_menu" style="padding-top:25px;">
<div class="container">
<div class="mega-menu-content">
<div class="mega-menu-item">
<h3><b>Farm Crisis</b></h3>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/farm-crisis/farmers039-suicides-14.html"
class="left postionrel">Farm Suicides </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/farm-crisis/unemployment-30.html"
class="left postionrel">Unemployment </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/farm-crisis/rural-distress-70.html"
class="left postionrel">Rural distress </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/farm-crisis/migration-34.html"
class="left postionrel">Migration </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/farm-crisis/key-facts-72.html"
class="left postionrel">Key Facts </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/farm-crisis/debt-trap-15.html"
class="left postionrel">Debt Trap </a>
</p>
</div>
<div class="mega-menu-item">
<h3><b>Empowerment</b></h3>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/empowerment/union-budget-73.html"
class="left postionrel">Union Budget And Other Economic Policies </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/empowerment/forest-and-tribal-rights-61.html"
class="left postionrel">Forest and Tribal Rights </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/empowerment/right-to-education-60.html"
class="left postionrel">Right to Education </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/empowerment/right-to-food-59.html"
class="left postionrel">Right to Food </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/empowerment/displacement-3279.html"
class="left postionrel">Displacement </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/empowerment/right-to-work-mg-nrega-39.html"
class="left postionrel">Right to Work (MG-NREGA) </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/empowerment/gender-3280.html"
class="left postionrel">GENDER </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/empowerment/right-to-information-58.html"
class="left postionrel">Right to Information </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/empowerment/social-audit-48.html"
class="left postionrel">Social Audit </a>
</p>
</div>
<div class="mega-menu-item">
<h3><b>Hunger / HDI</b></h3>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/hunger-hdi/poverty-and-inequality-20499.html"
class="left postionrel">Poverty and inequality </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/hunger-hdi/malnutrition-41.html"
class="left postionrel">Malnutrition </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/hunger-hdi/public-health-51.html"
class="left postionrel">Public Health </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/hunger-hdi/education-50.html"
class="left postionrel">Education </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/hunger-hdi/hunger-overview-40.html"
class="left postionrel">Hunger Overview </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/hunger-hdi/hdi-overview-45.html"
class="left postionrel">HDI Overview </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/hunger-hdi/pds-ration-food-security-42.html"
class="left postionrel">PDS/ Ration/ Food Security </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/hunger-hdi/sdgs-113.html"
class="left postionrel">SDGs </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/hunger-hdi/mid-day-meal-scheme-mdms-53.html"
class="left postionrel">Mid Day Meal Scheme (MDMS) </a>
</p>
</div>
<div class="mega-menu-item">
<h3><b>Environment</b></h3>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/environment/time-bomb-ticking-52.html"
class="left postionrel">Time Bomb Ticking </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/environment/water-and-sanitation-55.html"
class="left postionrel">Water and Sanitation </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/environment/impact-on-agriculture-54.html"
class="left postionrel">Impact on Agriculture </a>
</p>
</div>
<div class="mega-menu-item">
<h3><b>Law & Justice</b></h3>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/law-justice/social-justice-20500.html"
class="left postionrel">Social Justice </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/law-justice/access-to-justice-47.html"
class="left postionrel">Access to Justice </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/law-justice/human-rights-56.html"
class="left postionrel">Human Rights </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/law-justice/corruption-35.html"
class="left postionrel">Corruption </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/law-justice/general-insecurity-46.html"
class="left postionrel">General Insecurity </a>
</p>
<p style="padding-left:5px;">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/law-justice/disaster-relief-49.html"
class="left postionrel">Disaster & Relief </a>
</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</li>
<li class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page "><a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/nceus_reports.php">NCEUS reports</a>
</li>
<li class="menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-has-children parent-list ">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/about-us-9.html">About Us <span
class="sub-indicator"></span></a>
<ul class="sub-menu aboutmenu">
<li class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a
target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/objectives-8.html">Objectives</a>
</li>
<li class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a
target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/contactus.php">Contact
Us</a></li>
<li class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a
target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/about-us-9.html">About
Us</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-has-children ">
<a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/fellowships.php" title="Fellowships">Fellowships</a>
</li>
<li class="menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-has-children "><a
target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/media-workshops.php">Workshops</a>
</li>
<li class="menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-has-children "><a
target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/research.php">Research</a></li>
<li class="menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-has-children "><a
target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/links-64">Partners</a></li>
<li class="menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-has-children"
id="menu-item-539"><a target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/hindi/"
class="langbutton langlinkfont17">हिन्दी</a></li>
</ul>
</div> </div>
<!-- <div style="float: right;">
<script async src="https://cse.google.com/cse.js?cx=18b4f2e0f11bed3dd"></script>
<div class="gcse-search"></div>
</div> -->
<div class="search-block" style=" margin-left: 8px; margin-right: 7px;">
<form method="get" id="searchform" name="searchform"
action="https://im4change.in/search"
onsubmit="return searchvalidate();">
<button class="search-button" type="submit" value="Search"></button>
<input type="text" id="s" name="qryStr" value=""
onfocus="if (this.value == 'Search...') {this.value = '';}"
onblur="if (this.value == '') {this.value = 'Search...';}">
</form>
</div>
</nav>
</header>
<div class="container">
<div id="main-content" class=" main1 container fade-in animated3 sidebar-narrow-left">
<div class="content-wrap">
<div class="content" style="width: 900px;min-height: 500px;">
<section class="cat-box recent-box innerCatRecent">
<h1 class="cat-box-title">Food Insecurity Bill by Pratap Bhanu Mehta</h1>
<a href="JavaScript:void(0);" onclick="return shareArticle(11919);">
<img src="https://im4change.in/images/email.png?1582080630" border="0" width="24" align="right" alt="Share this article"/> </a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/latest-news-updates/food-insecurity-bill-by-pratap-bhanu-mehta-12038/print"
rel="nofollow">
<img src="https://im4change.in/images/icon-print.png?1582080630" border="0" width="24" align="right" alt="Share this article"/>
</a>
</section>
<section class="recent-box innerCatRecent">
<small class="pb-1"><span class="dateIcn">
<img src="https://im4change.in/images/published.svg?1582080666" alt="published"/>
Published on</span><span class="text-date"> Dec 14, 2011</span>
<span
class="dateIcn">
<img src="https://im4change.in/images/modified.svg?1582080666" alt="modified"/> Modified on </span><span class="text-date"> Dec 14, 2011</span>
</small>
</section>
<div class="clear"></div>
<div style="padding-top: 10px;">
<div class="innerLineHeight">
<div class="middleContent innerInput latest-news-updates">
<table>
<tr>
<td>
<div>
<br /><div align="justify">The government believes it is more important to be seen to be doing things than to be doing them well. The proposed food security legislation is another example of this tendency. The legislation exemplifies the self-defeating obduracy of bureaucratic modes of thinking. But the debate around it also exemplifies a failure of intellectual argument in India. Our debates often have this character. First, we spend a lot more time arguing about the destination than necessary. It is absolutely unconscionable that the need for a credible food security system still needs to be argued. Then we have a slightly more productive discussion about the route to get there. Some will argue that the Public Distribution System, though currently broken, can be fixed. Others will argue we need to replace food with cash. Sometimes these debates are in good faith. But sometimes in these debates, as in identity politics, belief chases evidence, not the other way round. But once we have, for good or for ill, chosen a route, we stop caring whether we will drive well enough to get to the destination. Or, worse still, we will actively subvert whatever route has been chosen. Often this is because each side can say, “I told you PDS won’t work.” Or, “I told you private provisioning won’t work.” We make sure that the conditions that might make the chosen architecture work do not obtain. But here is where a little generosity may help. It is possible to say: We should have chosen a different route. But now that we have chosen this route, let us ask how we can gain most from it. Like politicians, our debates are more interested in scoring points, than making progress.<br /><br />The debate about the architecture of food security is important. Given the realities of procurement, and the unconscionable deprivation on the ground, PDS is probably still a workable bet. But both PDS supporters and sceptics ought to join forces in recognising that the current bill needs revision, from within its own paradigm. It has a few promising features. But its approach to PDS lacks the central element of good legislation: integrity. A scheme must be a good-faith effort to implement what has a high probability of working, than to continue with premises you know will fail. The one thing that there is near consensus on is this: the more a scheme relies on complex targeting, the more likely it is to fail. Even with the latest, Janani Suraksha Yojana, there is evidence that states which universalised it had greater gains than states which had targeting. Universality or self-targeting is not a sufficient condition for a scheme’s success. But it seems to be one of the conditions of making success possible. You can do clear exclusions of the very privileged. But the numbers involved are so small that the gains are not clear.<br /><br />But what does the new legislation do? It creates Orwellian categories like priority households and general category households. And it introduces more forms of differential pricing. In short, it wilfully incorporates into its design three features that have made schemes in the past a failure: impractical targeting categories, administrative complexity, and incentives to game. It almost reads like a set-up. Instead, it would be far better to do what Jean Dreze has proposed: keep the scheme simple. It will have more integrity and chance of success. Exclude those who come under the unambiguous automatic exclusion criteria, if you must. But keep one category of beneficiaries, and a standard amount of 25 kilograms. And keep the one scheme that has worked relatively better: Antyodaya.<br /><br />The point about administrative simplicity is not peripheral to design; it is central to it. The BPL lists have been such a moral and administrative travesty. One of the ironies of the Indian system is that subsidies that benefit the privileged, like fuel subsidies, are couched in universalistic terms. But those from which the poor benefit are always targeted. This is doubly insulting to the poor. It makes it sound as if what the poor are getting is some special dispensation rather than a right enjoyed by all. But after all the fiascos with classification, it will take a psychoanalyst to diagnose why the Indian state continues to reinstate untenable categories. Perhaps it is more interested in defining the poor than helping them.<br /><br />The second aspect of integrity is this: if the objective is important, then we find the means to achieve it, instead of letting false assumptions about means to achieve the ends guide formulation of ends. The ministry of agriculture and the Planning Commission have consistently let some warped sense of means subvert the achievement of ends. They are not interested in food security or nutrition. They are interested in classifications, poverty caps, export prices, etc. Some of these concerns are well placed. It is vital that any procurement scheme must not diminish incentives for farmers. But not a single one of those proposing universalisation or near-universalisation, like Abhijit Sen, Himanshu or Jean Dreze, is exceeding reasonable procurement targets. There is something seriously amiss when we suggest with a straight face that we don’t have the money or the grain to guarantee food security.<br /><br />A government, planning wizard that it is, also has to plan for what it cannot do. So in case the government cannot give you food it will give food security wages instead. It is hard to know what to make of this idea: it introduces cash by the backdoor. Whether it is a good idea cannot be debated. But something about elementary political economy tells you that if you introduce cash in a scheme not designed for it, the incentives to game the system increase dramatically.<br /><br />The bill gives you the impression that it will create the worst of all worlds. It will increase expenditure. But the administrative imagination that has gone into it will ensure that the outcomes are deeply disappointing. It is almost as if someone in government is saying, if you make me do PDS, I will do my best to ensure it does not work. In intellectual debates we will use this as a pretext to say public or private cannot work. And politicians, typically, think the politics of being seen with the poor is one thing, wrestling with the administrative protocols that have imprisoned the poor quite another. As a society we disagree on many things. But it will be a travesty if we cannot agree that our failures on food security are not a tragedy, they are a scandal.<br /><br /><em>The writer is president, Centre for Policy Research, Delhi</em></div>
</div>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="clear"></div>
<br><a href="http://www.indianexpress.com/news/food-insecurity-bill/887452/" class="re" target="_blank">The Indian Express, 14 December, 2011, http://www.indianexpress.com/news/food-insecurity-bill/887452/</a><div class="clear"></div>
<div style="padding-top: 18px;">
<p class="post-tag">Tagged with:
<a class="tagcloud5"
href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=food security bill"
title="food security bill">
food security bill </a>
<a class="tagcloud5"
href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Right to Food"
title="Right to Food">
Right to Food </a>
<a class="tagcloud5"
href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Food Security"
title="Food Security">
Food Security </a>
</p>
</div>
<div class="clear"></div>
<br><br>
<div class="widget-top">
<h4>Related Articles</h4>
<div class="stripe-line"></div>
</div>
<div class="widget-container">
<ul id="recentcomments">
<li class="recentcomments">
<a href="https://im4change.in/latest-news-updates/hunger-and-malnutrition-in-india-after-a-decade-of-the-national-food-security-act-2013-neetu-sharma-jyotsna-sripada-shruthi-raman.html"
title="Hunger and Malnutrition in India after a Decade of the National Food Security Act, 2013 - Neetu Sharma, Jyotsna Sripada, Shruthi Raman">
Hunger and Malnutrition in India after a Decade of the National Food Security Act, 2013 - Neetu Sharma, Jyotsna Sripada, Shruthi Raman </a>
</li>
<li class="recentcomments">
<a href="https://im4change.in/latest-news-updates/monsoon-2023-to-be-below-normal-amid-el-nino-threat-forecasts-skymet-economic-times.html"
title="Monsoon 2023 to be below normal amid El Nino threat, forecasts Skymet - Economic Times">
Monsoon 2023 to be below normal amid El Nino threat, forecasts Skymet - Economic Times </a>
</li>
<li class="recentcomments">
<a href="https://im4change.in/news-alerts-57/news-alert-real-wages-declined-for-rural-indians-in-2022-a-year-when-the-economy-somewhat-recovered.html"
title="Real Wages Declined for Rural Indians in 2022, a Year When the Economy Somewhat Recovered ">
Real Wages Declined for Rural Indians in 2022, a Year When the Economy Somewhat Recovered </a>
</li>
<li class="recentcomments">
<a href="https://im4change.in/latest-news-updates/expand-pds-to-include-non-ration-card-holders-and-10-crore-excluded-by-using-old-census-figures-right-to-food-campaign.html"
title="Expand PDS to include non-ration card holders and 10 crore excluded by using old census figures: Right to Food Campaign">
Expand PDS to include non-ration card holders and 10 crore excluded by using old census figures: Right to Food Campaign </a>
</li>
<li class="recentcomments">
<a href="https://im4change.in/latest-news-updates/costly-wheat-and-the-cloud-over-our-daily-bread-sayantan-bera.html"
title="Costly wheat and the cloud over our daily bread - Sayantan Bera">
Costly wheat and the cloud over our daily bread - Sayantan Bera </a>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="comment-respond" id="respond">
<a name="commentbox"> </a>
<h3 class="comment-reply-title" id="reply-title">Write Comments</h3>
<form method="post" accept-charset="utf-8" role="form" action="/latest-news-updates/food-insecurity-bill-by-pratap-bhanu-mehta-12038.html"><div style="display:none;"><input type="hidden" name="_method" value="POST"/></div> <form class="comment-form" id="commentform" method="post" action="#commentbox" onSubmit="return validate()"
name="cmtform">
<input type="hidden" name="cmttype" value="articlecmt"/>
<input type="hidden" name="article_id" value="11919"/>
<p class="comment-notes">Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked <span
class="required">*</span></p>
<p class="comment-form-author">
<label for="commenterName">Name</label>
<span class="required">*</span>
<input type="text" aria-required="true" size="30"
value=""
name="commenterName" id="commenterName" required="true">
</p>
<p class="comment-form-email">
<label for="commenterEmail">Email</label> <span class="required">*</span>
<input aria-required="true" size="30" name="commenterEmail" id="commenterEmail" type="email"
value=""
required="true">
</p>
<p class="comment-form-contact">
<label for="commenterPh">Contact No.</label>
<input type="text" size="30"
value=""
name="commenterPh" id="commenterPh">
</p>
<p class="comment-form-comment">
<label for="comment">Comment</label>
<textarea aria-required="true" required="true" rows="8" cols="45" name="comment"
id="comment"></textarea>
</p>
<p class="comment-form-comment">
<label for="comment">Type the characters you see in the image below <span class="required">*</span><br><img
class="captchaImg"
src="https://im4change.in/securimage_show_art.php?tk=343883231" alt="captcha"/>
</label>
</p>
<input type="text" name="vrcode" required="true"/>
<p class="form-submit" style="width: 200px;">
<input type="submit" value="Post Comment" id="submit" name="submit">
</p></form>
</div>
<style>
.ui-widget-content {
height: auto !important;
}
</style>
<div id="share-modal"></div>
<style>
.middleContent a{
background-color: rgba(108,172,228,.2);
}
.middleContent a:hover{
background-color: #418fde;
border-color: #418fde;
color: #000;
}
</style>
<script>
function shareArticle(article_id) {
var options = {
modal: true,
height: 'auto',
width: 600 + 'px'
};
$('#share-modal').html("");
$('#share-modal').load('https://im4change.in/share_article?article_id=' + article_id).dialog(options).dialog('open');
}
function postShare() {
var param = 'article_id=' + $("#article_id").val();
param = param + '&y_name=' + $("#y_name").val();
param = param + '&y_email=' + $("#y_email").val();
param = param + '&f_name=' + $("#f_name").val();
param = param + '&f_email=' + $("#f_email").val();
param = param + '&y_msg=' + $("#y_msg").val();
$.ajax({
type: "POST",
url: 'https://im4change.in/post_share_article',
data: param,
success: function (response) {
$('#share-modal').html("Thank You, Your message posted to ");
}
});
return false;
}
</script> </div>
</div>
<!-- Right Side Section Start -->
<!-- MAP Section START -->
<aside class="sidebar indexMarg">
<div class="ad-cell">
<a href="https://im4change.in/statemap.php" title="">
<img src="https://im4change.in/images/map_new_version.png?1582080666" alt="India State Map" class="indiamap" width="232" height="252"/> </a>
<div class="rightmapbox">
<div id="sideOne" class="docltitle"><a href="https://im4change.in/state-report/india/36" target="_blank">DOCUMENTS/
REPORTS</a></div>
<div id="sideTwo" class="statetitle"><a href="https://im4change.in/states.php"target="_blank">STATE DATA/
HDRs.</a></div>
</div>
<div class="widget widgePadTop"></div>
</div>
</aside>
<!-- MAP Section END -->
<aside class="sidebar sidePadbottom">
<div class="rightsmlbox1" >
<a href="https://im4change.in/knowledge_gateway" target="_blank" style="color: #035588;
font-size: 17px;">
KNOWLEDGE GATEWAY
</a>
</div>
<div class="rightsmlbox1">
<div>
<p class="rightsmlbox1_title">
<a href="https://im4change.in/newsletter" target="_blank">
NEWSLETTER
</a>
</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="rightsmlbox1" style="height: 325px;">
<div>
<p class="rightsmlbox1_title">
Interview with Prof. Ravi Srivastava
</p>
<p class="rightsmlbox1_title">
<a href="https://im4change.in/video/interview-with-prof-ravi-srivastava-on-current-economic-crisis">
<img width="250" height="200" src="/images/interview_video_home.jpg" alt="Interview with Prof. Ravi Srivastava"/>
</a>
<!--
<iframe width="250" height="200" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MmaTlntk-wc" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>-->
</p>
<a href="https://im4change.in/videogallery" class="more-link CatArchalAnch1" target="_blank">
More videos
</a>
</div>
</div>
<div class="rightsmlbox1">
<div>
<!--div id="sstory" class="rightboxicons"></div--->
<p class="rightsmlbox1_title"><a href="https://im4change.in/list-success-stories" target="_blank">Success Stories</a></p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="rightsmlbox1">
<div>
<p class="rightsmlbox1_title"><a
href="https://im4change.in/interviews" target="_blank">Interviews</a>
</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="rightsmlbox1">
<div>
<p class="rightsmlbox1_title"><a href="https://www.commoncause.in/page.php?id=10" >Donate</a></p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="rightsmlbox1">
<div>
<p class="rightsmlbox1_title"><a
href="https://im4change.in/marquee"
class="isf_link more-link" title="India Focus?" style="border: 4px solid #fdd922;width: 90%;background-color: #fdd922;text-align: center;color: #000000;font-size:18px" target="_blank">India Focus</a></p> </div>
</div>
<div class="rightsmlbox1" style="height: 104px !important;">
<a href="https://im4change.in/quarterly_reports.php" target="_blank">
Quarterly Reports on Effect of Economic Slowdown on Employment in India (2008 - 2015)
</a>
</div>
<!-- <div class="rightsmlbox1">
<a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.im4.im4change" target="_blank">
</a></div> -->
<!-- <section class="cat-box recent-box secMarg">
<h2 class="cat-box-title">Most Visited</h2>
</section> -->
<!-- accordion Starts here -->
<!-- <div id="accordion" class="accordMarg">
</div> -->
<!-- accordion ends here -->
<!-- Widget Tag Cloud Starts here -->
<div id="tag_cloud-2" class="widget widget_tag_cloud">
<section class="cat-box recent-box secMarg">
<h2 class="cat-box-title">MOST VISITED TAGS</h2>
</section>
<div class="widget-top wiPdTp">
<div class="stripe-line"></div>
</div>
<div class="widget-container">
<div class="tagcloud">
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Agriculture"
target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Agriculture</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Food Security"
target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Food Security</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Law and Justice"
target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Law and Justice</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Health"
target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Health</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Right to Food"
target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Right to Food</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Corruption"
target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Corruption</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=farming"
target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">farming</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Environment"
target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Environment</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Right to Information"
target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Right to Information</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=NREGS"
target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">NREGS</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Human Rights"
target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Human Rights</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Governance"
target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Governance</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=PDS"
target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">PDS</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=COVID-19"
target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">COVID-19</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Land Acquisition"
target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Land Acquisition</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=mgnrega"
target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">mgnrega</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Farmers"
target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Farmers</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=transparency"
target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">transparency</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Gender"
target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Gender</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Poverty"
target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Poverty</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Farm Laws" target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Farm Laws
</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Citizenship Amendment Act" target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Citizenship Amendment Act
</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=CAA NPR NRIC" target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">CAA NPR NRIC
</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Job Losses" target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Job Losses
</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Migrant Workers" target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Migrant Workers
</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Unemployment" target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Unemployment
</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=PMGKAY" target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">PMGKAY
</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=PM-KISAN" target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">PM-KISAN
</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=PM-CARES" target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">PM-CARES
</a>
<a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=LFPR" target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">LFPR
</a>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<!-- Widget Tag Cloud Ends here -->
</aside>
<!-- Right Side Section End -->
</div>
<section class="cat-box cats-review-box footerSec">
<h2 class="cat-box-title vSec CatArcha">Video
Archives</h2>
<h2 class="cat-box-title CatArchaTitle">Archives</h2>
<div class="cat-box-content">
<div class="reviews-cat">
<div class="CatArchaDiv1">
<div class="CatArchaDiv2">
<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://im4change.in/news-alerts-57/moving-upstream-luni-fellowship.html" target="_blank">
Moving Upstream: Luni – Fellowship </a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://im4change.in/news-alerts-57/135-million-indians-exited-multidimensional-poverty-as-per-government-figures-is-that-the-same-as-poverty-reduction.html" target="_blank">
135 Million Indians Exited “Multidimensional" Poverty as per Government... </a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://im4change.in/news-alerts-57/explainer-why-are-tomato-prices-on-fire.html" target="_blank">
Explainer: Why are Tomato Prices on Fire? </a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://im4change.in/news-alerts-57/nsso-survey-only-39-1-of-all-households-have-drinking-water-within-dwelling-46-7-of-rural-households-use-firewood-for-cooking.html" target="_blank">
NSSO Survey: Only 39.1% of all Households have Drinking... </a>
</li>
<li class="CatArchalLi1">
<a href="https://im4change.in/news-alerts-57"
class="more-link CatArchalAnch1" target="_blank">
More...
</a>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="CatArchaWidth">
<img class="CatArchaImg"
src="https://img.youtube.com/vi/I51LYnP8BOk/1.jpg"
alt=" Im4Change.org हिंदी वेबसाइट का परिचय. Short Video on im4change.org...">
<p class="CatArchaPPad">
<a href="https://im4change.in/video/Short-Video-on-im4change-Hindi-website-Inclusive-Media-for-Change" target="_blank">
Im4Change.org हिंदी वेबसाइट का परिचय. Short Video on im4change.org... </a>
</p>
</div>
<div class="CatArchaWidth">
<img class="CatArchaImg"
src="https://img.youtube.com/vi/kNqha-SwfIY/1.jpg"
alt=" "Session 1: Scope of IDEA and AgriStack" in Exploring...">
<p class="CatArchaPPad">
<a href="https://im4change.in/video/Session-1- Scope-of-IDEA-and-AgriStack-in-Exploring-Digitalisation-in-Agriculture-29-April-2022" target="_blank">
"Session 1: Scope of IDEA and AgriStack" in Exploring... </a>
</p>
</div>
<div class="CatArchaWidth">
<img class="CatArchaImg"
src="https://img.youtube.com/vi/6kIVjlgZItk/1.jpg"
alt=" "Session 2: Farmer Centric Digitalisation in Agriculture" in Exploring...">
<p class="CatArchaPPad">
<a href="https://im4change.in/video/Session-2-Farmer-Centric-Digitalisation-in-Agriculture-in-Exploring-Digitalisation-in-Agriculture-29-April-2022" target="_blank">
"Session 2: Farmer Centric Digitalisation in Agriculture" in Exploring... </a>
</p>
</div>
<div class="CatArchaWidth">
<img class="CatArchaImg"
src="https://img.youtube.com/vi/2BeHTu0y7xc/1.jpg"
alt=" "Session 3: Future of Digitalisation in Agriculture" in Exploring...">
<p class="CatArchaPPad">
<a href="https://im4change.in/video/Session-3-Future-of-Digitalisation-in-Agriculture-in-Exploring-Digitalisation-in-Agriculture-29-April-2022" target="_blank">
"Session 3: Future of Digitalisation in Agriculture" in Exploring... </a>
</p>
</div>
<div class="divWidth">
<ul class="divWidthMarg">
<li>
<a href="https://im4change.in/video/Public-Spending-on-Agriculture-in-India-Source-Foundation-for-Agrarian-Studies"
title="Public Spending on Agriculture in India (Source: Foundation for Agrarian Studies)" target="_blank">
Public Spending on Agriculture in India (Source: Foundation for...</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://im4change.in/video/Agrarian-Change-Seminar-Protests-against-the-New-Farm-Laws-in-India-by-Prof-Vikas-Rawal-JNU-Source-Journal-Of-Agrarian-Change"
title="Agrarian Change Seminar: 'Protests against the New Farm Laws in India' by Prof. Vikas Rawal, JNU (Source: Journal Of Agrarian Change) " target="_blank">
Agrarian Change Seminar: 'Protests against the New Farm Laws...</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://im4change.in/video/Webinar-Ramrao-The-Story-of-India-Farm-Crisis-Source-Azim-Premji-University"
title="Webinar: Ramrao - The Story of India's Farm Crisis (Source: Azim Premji University)" target="_blank">
Webinar: Ramrao - The Story of India's Farm Crisis...</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://im4change.in/video/water-and-agricultural-transformation-in-India"
title="Water and Agricultural Transformation in India: A Symbiotic Relationship (Source: IGIDR)" target="_blank">
Water and Agricultural Transformation in India: A Symbiotic Relationship...</a>
</li>
<li class="CatArchalLi1">
<a href="https://im4change.in/videogallery"
class="more-link CatArchalAnch1" target="_blank">
More...
</a>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</section> </div>
<div class="clear"></div>
<!-- Footer option Starts here -->
<div class="footer-bottom fade-in animated4">
<div class="container">
<div class="social-icons icon_flat">
<p class="SocialMargTop"> Website Developed by <a target="_blank" title="Web Development"
class="wot right"
href="http://www.ravinderkhurana.com/" rel="nofollow">
RAVINDErkHURANA.com</a></p>
</div>
<div class="alignleft">
<a
target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/objectives-8.html"
class="link"
title="Objectives">Objectives</a> | <a
target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/about-us-9.html"
class="link" title="About Us">About Us</a> | <a
target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/media-workshops.php"
class="ucwords">Workshops</a> | <a
target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/disclaimer/disclaimer-149.html"
title="Disclaimer">Disclaimer</a> </div>
</div>
</div>
<!-- Footer option ends here -->
</div>
<div id="connect">
<a target="_blank"
href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://im4change.in/latest-news-updates/food-insecurity-bill-by-pratap-bhanu-mehta-12038.html"
title="Share on Facebook">
<img src="https://im4change.in/images/Facebook.png?1582080640" alt="share on Facebook" class="ImgBorder"/>
</a><br/>
<a target="_blank"
href="http://twitter.com/share?text=Im4change&url=https://im4change.in/latest-news-updates/food-insecurity-bill-by-pratap-bhanu-mehta-12038.html"
title="Share on Twitter">
<img src="https://im4change.in/images/twitter.png?1582080632" alt="Twitter" class="ImgBorder"/> </a>
<br/>
<a href="/feeds" title="RSS Feed" target="_blank">
<img src="https://im4change.in/images/rss.png?1582080632" alt="RSS" class="ImgBorder"/>
</a>
<br/>
<a class="feedback-link" id="feedbackFormLink" href="#">
<img src="https://im4change.in/images/feedback.png?1582080630" alt="Feedback" class="ImgBorder"/>
</a> <br/>
<a href="javascript:function iprl5(){var d=document,z=d.createElement('scr'+'ipt'),b=d.body,l=d.location;try{if(!b)throw(0);d.title='(Saving...) '+d.title;z.setAttribute('src',l.protocol+'//www.instapaper.com/j/WKrH3R7ORD5p?u='+encodeURIComponent(l.href)+'&t='+(new Date().getTime()));b.appendChild(z);}catch(e){alert('Please wait until the page has loaded.');}}iprl5();void(0)"
class="bookmarklet" onclick="return explain_bookmarklet();">
<img src="https://im4change.in/images/read-it-later.png?1582080632" alt="Read Later" class="ImgBorder"/> </a>
</div>
<!-- Feedback form Starts here -->
<div id="feedbackForm" class="overlay_form" class="ImgBorder">
<h2>Contact Form</h2>
<div id="contactform1">
<div id="formleft">
<form id="submitform" action="/contactus.php" method="post">
<input type="hidden" name="submitform" value="submitform"/>
<input type="hidden" name="salt_key" value="a0e0f2c6a0644a70e57ad2c96829709a"/>
<input type="hidden" name="ref" value="feedback"/>
<fieldset>
<label>Name :</label>
<input type="text" name="name" class="tbox" required/>
</fieldset>
<fieldset>
<label>Email :</label>
<input type="text" name="email" class="tbox" required/>
</fieldset>
<fieldset>
<label>Message :</label>
<textarea rows="5" cols="20" name="message" required></textarea>
</fieldset>
<fieldset>
Please enter security code
<div class="clear"></div>
<input type="text" name="vrcode" class="tbox"/>
</fieldset>
<fieldset>
<input type="submit" class="button" value="Submit"/>
<a href="#" id="closefeedbakcformLink">Close</a>
</fieldset>
</form>
</div>
<div class="clearfix"></div>
</div>
</div>
<div id="donate_popup" class="modal" style="max-width: 800px;">
<table width="100%" border="1">
<tr>
<td colspan="2" align="center">
<b>Support im4change</b>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="25%" valign="middle">
<img src="https://im4change.in/images/logo2.jpg?1582080632" alt="" width="100%"/> </td>
<td style="padding-left:10px;padding-top:10px;">
<form action="https://im4change.in/donate" method="get">
<table width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2">
<tr>
<td width="33%" style="font-family: 'Script Font', cursive, Arial;font-size: 20px;font-weight: 700;">
10
</td>
<td width="33%" style="font-family: 'Script Font', cursive, Arial;font-size: 20px;font-weight: 700;">
100
</td>
<td width="33%" style="font-family: 'Script Font', cursive, Arial;font-size: 20px;font-weight: 700;">
1000
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="3">
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="font-family: 'Script Font', cursive, Arial;font-size: 20px;font-weight: 700;">
50
</td>
<td style="font-family: 'Script Font', cursive, Arial;font-size: 20px;font-weight: 700;">
500
</td>
<td style="font-family: 'Script Font', cursive, Arial;font-size: 20px;font-weight: 700;">
<input type="text" name="price" placeholder="?" style="font-family: 'Script Font', cursive, Arial;font-size: 20px;font-weight: 700;">
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="3">
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="3" align="right">
<input type="button" name="Pay" value="Pay"
style="width: 200px;background-color: rgb(205, 35, 36);color: #ffffff;"/>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</form>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div><script type='text/javascript'>
/* <![CDATA[ */
var tievar = {'go_to': 'Go to...'};
/* ]]> */
</script>
<script src="/js/tie-scripts.js?1575549704"></script><script src="/js/bootstrap.js?1575549704"></script><script src="/js/jquery.modal.min.js?1578284310"></script><script>
$(document).ready(function() {
// tell the autocomplete function to get its data from our php script
$('#s').autocomplete({
source: "/autocomplete"
});
});
</script>
<script src="/vj-main-sw-register.js" async></script>
<script>function init(){var imgDefer=document.getElementsByTagName('img');for(var i=0;i<imgDefer.length;i++){if(imgDefer[i].getAttribute('data-src')){imgDefer[i].setAttribute('src',imgDefer[i].getAttribute('data-src'))}}}
window.onload=init;</script>
</body>
</html>'
}
$cookies = []
$values = [
(int) 0 => 'text/html; charset=UTF-8'
]
$name = 'Content-Type'
$first = true
$value = 'text/html; charset=UTF-8'
header - [internal], line ??
Cake\Http\ResponseEmitter::emitHeaders() - CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 181
Cake\Http\ResponseEmitter::emit() - CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 55
Cake\Http\Server::emit() - CORE/src/Http/Server.php, line 141
[main] - ROOT/webroot/index.php, line 39
LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Food Insecurity Bill by Pratap Bhanu Mehta
Published on Dec 14, 2011
Modified on Dec 14, 2011
The government believes it is more important to be seen to be doing things than to be doing them well. The proposed food security legislation is another example of this tendency. The legislation exemplifies the self-defeating obduracy of bureaucratic modes of thinking. But the debate around it also exemplifies a failure of intellectual argument in India. Our debates often have this character. First, we spend a lot more time arguing about the destination than necessary. It is absolutely unconscionable that the need for a credible food security system still needs to be argued. Then we have a slightly more productive discussion about the route to get there. Some will argue that the Public Distribution System, though currently broken, can be fixed. Others will argue we need to replace food with cash. Sometimes these debates are in good faith. But sometimes in these debates, as in identity politics, belief chases evidence, not the other way round. But once we have, for good or for ill, chosen a route, we stop caring whether we will drive well enough to get to the destination. Or, worse still, we will actively subvert whatever route has been chosen. Often this is because each side can say, “I told you PDS won’t work.” Or, “I told you private provisioning won’t work.” We make sure that the conditions that might make the chosen architecture work do not obtain. But here is where a little generosity may help. It is possible to say: We should have chosen a different route. But now that we have chosen this route, let us ask how we can gain most from it. Like politicians, our debates are more interested in scoring points, than making progress.
The debate about the architecture of food security is important. Given the realities of procurement, and the unconscionable deprivation on the ground, PDS is probably still a workable bet. But both PDS supporters and sceptics ought to join forces in recognising that the current bill needs revision, from within its own paradigm. It has a few promising features. But its approach to PDS lacks the central element of good legislation: integrity. A scheme must be a good-faith effort to implement what has a high probability of working, than to continue with premises you know will fail. The one thing that there is near consensus on is this: the more a scheme relies on complex targeting, the more likely it is to fail. Even with the latest, Janani Suraksha Yojana, there is evidence that states which universalised it had greater gains than states which had targeting. Universality or self-targeting is not a sufficient condition for a scheme’s success. But it seems to be one of the conditions of making success possible. You can do clear exclusions of the very privileged. But the numbers involved are so small that the gains are not clear.
But what does the new legislation do? It creates Orwellian categories like priority households and general category households. And it introduces more forms of differential pricing. In short, it wilfully incorporates into its design three features that have made schemes in the past a failure: impractical targeting categories, administrative complexity, and incentives to game. It almost reads like a set-up. Instead, it would be far better to do what Jean Dreze has proposed: keep the scheme simple. It will have more integrity and chance of success. Exclude those who come under the unambiguous automatic exclusion criteria, if you must. But keep one category of beneficiaries, and a standard amount of 25 kilograms. And keep the one scheme that has worked relatively better: Antyodaya.
The point about administrative simplicity is not peripheral to design; it is central to it. The BPL lists have been such a moral and administrative travesty. One of the ironies of the Indian system is that subsidies that benefit the privileged, like fuel subsidies, are couched in universalistic terms. But those from which the poor benefit are always targeted. This is doubly insulting to the poor. It makes it sound as if what the poor are getting is some special dispensation rather than a right enjoyed by all. But after all the fiascos with classification, it will take a psychoanalyst to diagnose why the Indian state continues to reinstate untenable categories. Perhaps it is more interested in defining the poor than helping them.
The second aspect of integrity is this: if the objective is important, then we find the means to achieve it, instead of letting false assumptions about means to achieve the ends guide formulation of ends. The ministry of agriculture and the Planning Commission have consistently let some warped sense of means subvert the achievement of ends. They are not interested in food security or nutrition. They are interested in classifications, poverty caps, export prices, etc. Some of these concerns are well placed. It is vital that any procurement scheme must not diminish incentives for farmers. But not a single one of those proposing universalisation or near-universalisation, like Abhijit Sen, Himanshu or Jean Dreze, is exceeding reasonable procurement targets. There is something seriously amiss when we suggest with a straight face that we don’t have the money or the grain to guarantee food security.
A government, planning wizard that it is, also has to plan for what it cannot do. So in case the government cannot give you food it will give food security wages instead. It is hard to know what to make of this idea: it introduces cash by the backdoor. Whether it is a good idea cannot be debated. But something about elementary political economy tells you that if you introduce cash in a scheme not designed for it, the incentives to game the system increase dramatically.
The bill gives you the impression that it will create the worst of all worlds. It will increase expenditure. But the administrative imagination that has gone into it will ensure that the outcomes are deeply disappointing. It is almost as if someone in government is saying, if you make me do PDS, I will do my best to ensure it does not work. In intellectual debates we will use this as a pretext to say public or private cannot work. And politicians, typically, think the politics of being seen with the poor is one thing, wrestling with the administrative protocols that have imprisoned the poor quite another. As a society we disagree on many things. But it will be a travesty if we cannot agree that our failures on food security are not a tragedy, they are a scandal.
The writer is president, Centre for Policy Research, Delhi
Write Comments